Broken Bonds
by glowrioustrash
Summary: Kara Bowers is an outcast. No soulbond, no soulmate, no future. She accepts that until a lone wolf worms his way into her life. Bit by bit, Baron makes her open up and see that she doesn't need a soulmate to have a future. As it tends to happen though, just as she gets comfortable with the hand she's dealt, the universe throws a Samoan wrench into the machine.


_Hey everyone! Thanks for clicking and checking this story out! This is the only one of my writings that I've uploaded to FFnet so far, but you can find more on my tumblr (under "glowrioustrash" as well.) If you like this, come check out my other stuff and/or let me know. I am planning to write more in this universe and positive feedback only motivates me!_

* * *

Kara had been coming to Soulmate Grief Support meetings since she was a young teenager, forced by her parents after a suggestion from her therapist. A therapist she didn't want to speak to about something she didn't understand: soulmates. Something was wrong with Kara, although there was no full explanation for it. Maybe she never had a soulmate, or maybe her soulmate died before she was ever born. All that she knew was she was alone in the world and she'd grown to accept it.

In grade one, teachers taught about soulbonds: the inexplicable force that drew you to your soulmate. How sometimes you would feel a feeling that wasn't yours, or you might feel a spike of pain that didn't belong. Some of the kids lit up, understanding and sharing stories of their experiences.

"One time I t'ought I scrapeded my knee 'cause it hurt, but there was nothin'. Was that my soulmate?"

"I was playin' with my mommy and got really sad once. She say-ed it was my soulmate!"

"Papa tolded me when my arm was hurted that my soulmate pro'lly broke their arm."

Kara had never felt anything like what some of her classmates were describing, and a few other kids chimed in that neither had they. The teachers explained that you can't feel the bond until your soulmate was born, so it was likely their soulmates were going to be younger than them. It was all anyone could talk about for the rest of the day, the kids who had yet to feel their soulbond listening attentively to the other children's stories. Kara got home from school and told her parents how excited she was to feel her soulbond one day.

By grade 3, it seemed every other student could feel something through their soulbond except Kara. They were learning more about what the soulbond meant, and how it connected you to the person who was perfect for you. How you'd grow to love and cherish them because you were made for each other. Kara was already 8 years old - a big girl! - did that mean her soulmate wasn't even born yet? Falling in love with a baby sounded stupid.

Her parents often asked her if she was feeling her soulbond yet. She told them no, noticing how they looked disappointed or upset every time. When she was 9, she lied and told them yes. She made up stories, telling her parents things she'd overheard other kids saying at school to describe what she was feeling. Her parents were so happy, her mother had even cried. She thought she did the right thing.

In grade 6 her parents were called into the school for a conference. Kara sat outside the office wondering what she'd done wrong. She was a good kid most of the time and she always did her homework. She'd pushed Billy down a few weeks ago but that was _forever_ ago. She was left to wonder what the problem was until the door opened. Her father looked concerned and her mother looked like she had been crying.

"Mom?" She asked, standing up. "What's wrong? Am I in trouble?"

"No, sweetie. You didn't do anything wrong." Her mother assured her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"What's going on?" She tried, looking at her father.

"Let's go to McDonald's and we'll talk about it." Her dad told her with a smile and a pat on her head. She should have known something was up but, at the promise of McDonald's, she perked up and momentarily forgot the issue.

"Kara," her dad caught her attention as she dug into the sundae her parents got her after she ate her whole dinner. "Your teacher was telling us today that… that you still haven't felt your soulbond. I thought you said you had."

Kara looked down at the table with a frown. She hadn't seen the harm in lying when it made her parents so happy.

"You don't have to lie to us, Kara." Her mother added.

"I made it up." She admitted, scared of the imminent punishment for lying. "You and Dad looked so sad anytime I said I didn't so… I just wanted you to be happy."

She looked up hesitantly to see her parents' reactions. They looked sad, the same way they did when she would answer their questions with "nothing yet" anytime they had asked. She hated that she was making them sad.

Her mother got up and slid into the booth next to her, hugging her close. "I'm so sorry we made you feel like you had to lie, baby." She gushed into Kara's hair.

"So, you don't have a soulbond yet?" Her father clarified.

"No." Kara sighed.

"That's okay. That's nothing to be ashamed about." Her mother comforted. Kara definitely felt like there was. She was 12 and hadn't connected to her soulmate yet.

"The school wants you to start seeing a therapist." Her dad put out there bluntly, making her furrowed her brows.

"A therapist?"

"They're worried there's something… wonky with your bond." She could tell her dad had chosen his words carefully by the way he paused. "But that's not totally uncommon. Dr. Abrams is trained to help kids find their bond."

"It's not a punishment." Her mother added. "You're not in any trouble, we just want you to be able to find your soulmate."

"Do you think it will work?" She questioned hesitantly, feeling hope bubble up in her chest.

"Dr. Abrams is very good, the school assured us." Her dad nodded. "There are lots of kids who don't find their soulbond right away. It's just like how Jory has to take his insulin every day. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just… a little different."

Jory was in her class, and he was a funny kid. He was often goofing off, making everyone laugh. She didn't really understand, but he had diabetes and needed to have needles every day to keep him healthy. Like her father said, it wasn't wrong, just different.

"I guess that makes sense." She nodded. For the first time in a while, she didn't feel so left out. There were other kids like her, even if she hadn't met them. There were people who could help her get her soulbond, which would lead her to her soulmate one day.

She saw Dr. Abrams once a week after school, and once a month during summer breaks. They worked for years on trying to strengthen Kara's soulbond. At first she was dedicated to working hard and making it happen. She did all the "homework" Dr. Abrams sent her home with and tried really hard in their sessions. By the time she was reaching high school, she figured it was useless.

Kara had to watch as classmates gushed about their soulbonds, daydreaming with each other about how they thought they might one day meet their soulmate. Some of the upperclassmen had already found their soulmates and could be seen walking the halls holding hands or sneaking around the corner to make out. It seemed every book she read or TV show aimed at teens were all about finding your soulmate. About that moment when the two of you would lock eyes and it would feel like everything in your life had fallen into place.

She knew deep down it was hopeless. She was 15 and still hadn't felt a single pull towards someone, or an emotion that wasn't quite hers, or pain that had no explanation. She was never going to find a soulmate because she simply didn't have one.

Kara fell into a bad place in high school. It was hard to understand as a teenager that you were destined to be alone forever. She wondered what divine power that decides this shit would put her through it for no reason at all. Why everyone in the damn world got a soulmate but she didn't. Criminals and murders got their soulmates, why didn't a regular 15-year-old girl get one? She stopped making friends, not wanting to hear about their soulbonds and soulmates and love. She isolated herself and her grades began falling. Her parents were worried, but she didn't particularly care. They had each other and they would never understand.

That's when Dr. Abrams suggested SGS. Kara had no desire to go. She knew they wouldn't understand. It was a group for people who had lost their soulmate, not never had one in the first place. People who had felt their soulbond die or who had met their soulmate before they died. People who spent months or decades beside their partner before they were taken away from them. They had felt what Kara never would.

Her parents drove her to SGS every week. She was annoyed that another weekday night was constantly being taken up by the fruitless venture of making her cope with not finding her soulbond. She snuck out once, waiting until her parents had driven off before going to the mall instead to watch a movie. She was busted the next day when Alfie, the man who ran the group, called her parents to ask if she was okay.

She hated the group. She was the youngest by at least 15 years and she had to listen to the others talk about their loss. At least they'd had it to begin with. Kara would sit in the corner, head down and arms crossed, slouched in her chair and trying to ignore the others until the meeting ended. Lather, rinse, repeat.

"Kara, is there anything you'd like to share this week?" Alfie would ask her.

"I'm good." She'd reply flatly. Alfie would offer a sad smile before moving on. She hated it.

Everyone in the group always looked at her with pity and she absolutely hated it. None of them knew her story, she'd never opened up or shared even once, so she was sure they had all come up with their own version. She hated the looks they gave her, clearly sad that someone so young had to live through the death of a soulmate. She just wished everyone would leave her alone.

The one, tiny consolation Kara could tell was that she'd never have to experience the death of a soulbond. By the time she'd been forced to attend SGS, she had learned about it in school of course, only half paying attention. The textbooks saying it was one of the most painful experiences of life. Kara had now heard over 20 stories proving it to be true. Big, biker men who said they passed out from the pain. Mothers who said natural childbirth had hurt less. It was like your entire body was being burnt alive while a dementor was sucking out your last happy thought. Being hit by a train over and over again while poison ivy coursed through your bloodstream.

She'd never admit it, but when she would see couples on the street or on TV, she thought the pain just might be worth it to feel less alone for a little while.

* * *

Kara sat in her usual spot in the back corner, slumped in her chair and picking at her nails as she waited for the meeting to start. Other members were standing next to the table that housed the coffee machine and cookies, mingling and chatting with their friends. Alfie was at the front podium, getting things ready to start when the door creaked open.

He was young, maybe a few years older than Kara, and that's what caught her attention. She had never seen anyone else in these meetings remotely close to her age. The closest had been a 27 year old dentist who had been too focused on schooling and his career to find his soulmate before she died.

The young man sulked in, head hanging and shoulders slumped. Kara could tell he was tall despite his current posture. She watched him plop down unceremoniously into a chair near the door. He wiped at his eyes but kept his head down.

Alfie calling the meeting to start snapped her attention away from the new guy, and she tried to revert to her habit of ignoring the meeting. She couldn't help but glance at the new guy a few times.

Alfie started the meeting by welcoming everyone, including new faces, and made sure to reiterate that it was a safe space to speak your mind and that everyone was welcome to speak up. Kara was sure he mentioned that for the benefit of the new guy. He seemed to be listening, but didn't offer to speak. Once the meeting was over, he sulked out the same way he'd come in.

This continued for a few weeks, the new guy coming in and silently observing. The fifth week, he was slumped a little less. His shoulders lifted ever so slightly than the previous week. She was surprised when he offered to talk right at the start of the meeting.

"Hi. My name's Baron." He introduced awkwardly. The deep timber of his voice caught Kara off guard. It was also the first time she got to see his face clearly without his hair in the way.

Baron waited for the murmured greetings before continuing. "A few months ago… I felt my soulbond die." He admitted, pausing to take a few deep breaths.

"I was at practice. I'm, uh… on the school's football team. This tingling started in my arm, around my elbow. I'd felt it before, but this time something was wrong. It started to hurt instead of get better. I started to get dizzy. I asked to sit out for a play but Coach told me to keep with it. I was disoriented, I couldn't focus on the scrimmage. Next thing I knew, it felt like I'd been hit by three guys at once and thrown into a wall. The air was knocked out of me and I was on the ground staring up at the sky. I was about to ask what happened when the pain kicked in."

"It felt like…" He paused. Kara couldn't tell if he was trying to come up with the way to describe it or trying to compose himself. "It was like being stung by bees all over. I felt like my whole body was turning inside out. I don't remember a lot of it. They said I was screaming and clawing at the ground. They called 911 and the EMTs had to sedate me before they could move me. The pain probably should'a knocked me out, but for some reason it didn't." He shrugged, sighing sadly.

"I came to and couldn't remember why I was in the hospital. I figured I got my bell rung during practice. They said they had to run some more tests before they would know anything but they all came back… they figure she died. I mean, _they_ died. I always thought it was a girl. She got these god awful cramps every month so I just assumed." He chuckled sadly, a few other people in the room joining in.

Baron looked down at the podium in front of him, thinking for a moment. Alfie took a step towards him, setting a comforting hand on his arm but not rushing him. Baron gave the man a grateful nod.

"That's it for now, I guess." He concluded. Alfie gave him a pat on the back as he moved towards his chair. Members of the group applauded him for opening up, the lady sat near him rubbed his back for a moment in a soothing gesture.

"Would anyone else like to come up and share something?" Alfie asked, looking right at Kara. Kara rolled her eyes, wishing he would take the hint after years of avoidance and slumped down into her chair again.

45 minutes later the meeting ended and Kara texted her mom right away, heading outside to wait for her to pick her up. She sat on the curb, tapping her foot as she waited.

"Hey." She turned to see Baron standing behind her, looking every bit like a giant as she looked up at him from the ground.

"Hi." She answered back shortly.

"I was surprised to see you here." He told her.

"Do I know you?" She asked with a quirked brow.

"No, I just meant… I kinda thought it would be a bunch of old people." He shrugged. "Nice to see someone around my age."

"Not here by choice." Kara muttered.

"Waiting for a ride?" He asked.

"Yeah. Parents."

"They make you come?" He guessed.

"Nailed it in one, Baron." She drawled.

The two stayed in an awkward silence until Kara saw her parents' car round the corner into the parking lot.

"See you next week." Baron told her.

"Yay." She deadpanned as she opened the door. She watched Baron cross the parking lot and climb into a car, wondering why he waited with her if he wasn't waiting for a ride.

"Who's that?" Her mom asked.

"New guy." Kara shrugged.

"He's so young. Poor kid." Her mom sighed quietly. Kara huffed, rolling her eyes before glaring out the window. Typical adult response that proved her right, pity was all she'd ever get.

* * *

Baron came to the meetings every week, although he didn't get up to talk to the group again. Just sat in solidarity, absorbing others' stories. After every meeting he would stand next to Kara while she waited for her ride, trying to chat. She usually snapped back, which just made him laugh. Once her parents' vehicle showed up, he'd be on his way.

Six weeks into their new pattern, he sat in the back next to her just before the meeting started. Kara glared at him, wondering if he was going to try to talk to her, but he was silent the entire meeting. Just sitting there. When it ended, he got up and followed her to the parking lot as normal. This became their new habit. For four weeks Baron would sit with her and not say a damn thing throughout the whole meeting, only saying hello to her when he first sat down.

Five weeks in, Baron didn't try to talk to her after the meeting and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. She brushed it off, thinking he must have something important to do or somewhere to be. She'd hate to admit it, but she had apparently grown accustomed to his pestering.

The sixth week, he didn't sit with her. She watched him walk in and sit towards the front instead of making his way to the back. She spent the meeting glaring at the back of his head, hoping he'd turn around and see how annoyed he'd made her. When the meeting ended, he said goodbye to the older woman he'd been sitting beside before making his way out to the parking lot. For the first time since this had started, Kara followed him out to the parking lot instead of the other way around.

"Hey!" She called to him, making him stop and turn towards her. His hand was in his pocket, midway fishing out his keys when she had interrupted him. "Why didn't you sit with me?"

She felt stupid the moment she'd said it. Like some stupid teenager fighting with her bitchy bestie or a couple in the middle of a fight. She felt juvenile.

"What?" Baron questioned, clearly surprised.

"You didn't sit with me. And last week you didn't talk to me." She pointed out, feeling like she was digging herself a deeper hole.

"And?"

"Never mind." Kara scoffed, turning to stomp back to her usual spot of waiting for her parents on the curb.

"Are you saying you want me to sit with you?" Baron questioned.

"I thought we were friends." She grumbled.

"Friends?" Baron repeated in shock, stepping closer as she plopped herself down on the curb. "You barely speak to me, how are we friends?"

"I talk to you more than anyone else here." She shrugged, pulling her knees up under her chin.

"I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it. It's whatever." She cut him off, really wishing she hadn't said anything. Now it was a big deal.

"Fine." Baron huffed, turning and leaving her alone until her parents arrived.

Kara noticed that he didn't leave until they arrived, sitting in his truck until the car pulled into the parking lot. She ignored him, climbing into the vehicle and sulking, ignoring any questions her Dad asked about the meeting.

Next week, Kara dragged her feet, shuffling into the room, ready to take her lonely spot in the back corner again. She kept her head down, only stopping when feet appeared in her vision as she entered the last row. She looked up to see Baron sitting in the second to last spot in the corner with a grin.

Kara tried to cover her surprise but if the look on Baron's face was anything to go by, it was too late. She pushed past him to get to her corner seat and plopped down into the chair.

"Friends?" Baron asked, holding his hand out for her.

"Don't push it, stretch." She grumbled. She stared at his hand for a second before giving him a half-assed high five instead of shaking it. It was the compromise between shaking his hand and slapping it away completely.

They sat in silence as usual during the meeting, Baron actually paying attention while Kara ignored them and watched the clock ticking. It ended and Kara pulled her phone out right away.

"I can drive you home." Baron offered, holding his hand in front of her phone so she would stop texting and consider the offer.

She paused only momentarily before moving her phone so she could keep texting. Baron sighed in defeat and followed her to the parking lot. She didn't stop at the curb like he was expecting her to, walking further into the lot.

"Where are you parked?" She asked.

"That way." He pointed towards his rusting pick-up truck. She nodded once she saw it and started walking towards it.

"Didn't you just text for a ride?" He wondered.

"No, told them not to bother." She shrugged, pocketing her phone as she waited for Baron to unlock his vehicle.

"You _would_ drive a hunk of junk like this." She scoffed, looking around the worn interior once she was inside.

"Was my dad's." Baron told her as he settled in. "He upgraded and sold me this one for a couple hundred. Beats having nothing."

"I guess." She begrudgingly agreed as she buckled in. She gave Baron her address and loose directions, promising to direct him further when they got closer to her house.

"Don't you drive?" Baron asked once they were on the road. "You parents always pick you up, right?"

"No license. Never cared to get it." Kara admitted with a shrug.

"Really? I got mine as soon as could."

"Had nowhere to go."

"Been that long, huh?"

Kara looked at him curiously, trying to figure out what he meant by that. "For what?"

"You've been… _alone_."

Kara stopped short of snapping at him as was her usual response when someone brought it up. He hadn't asked to be nosy or out of pity. She already knew his story, even if she didn't even know his last name yet. She was still certain no one would ever understand, but Baron was probably as close as she was going to get.

"Yeah." She whispered, looking out the car window. "And I don't wanna talk about it." She added.

"You got it." He dropped it, leaning over to turn the radio on.

* * *

Baron chipped away at the walls Kara had built for herself and Kara helped Baron to build higher walls to deal with the pain of losing his soulmate. Kara didn't really know when it happened, but they were soon friends. Actual friends, and not simply the closest approximation of friends that she had. It was easy for Kara to call him her best friend considering she had none, but she truly meant it when she considered him her best friend. She meant it in the way that those stupid teenage chick flicks always had typical "bffs." She still didn't open up about her lack of a soulmate and Baron learned not to ask. He'd never truly understand, but he was the closest she'd get to someone understanding. He was young and had his chance at love shot down before it even had a chance to go anywhere.

Baron encouraged her to apply for college, something she hadn't been considering previously.

"I just don't see the point, Baron." Kara had told him, laying on her bed with her head hanging off the edge, watching him upside down from where he sat on her bean bag chair. "I'm not destined for any greatness, clearly."

"So you're just giving up? Not doing anything with your life? Maybe I should do the same and quit football."

"That's not what I'm saying." She groaned.

"So what do you plan to do? Live with your parents and get a job at McDonald's?"

"Maybe."

"You really want to live with your parents forever? Under their roof and following their rules?" He pointed out. "Or, do you want to go to school and get out from under them? You could even do a year with an undeclared major if you're not sure what you wanna do, but I know you wanna get out from under your parents. College is the easiest way to do that."

Kara waved him off but what he said sat with Kara for a few weeks, and it made a lot of sense. She didn't have ambition necessarily, she'd spent too many years too low to consider her future, but she did want to live her own life on her own terms - even if that meant getting some lame ass job that would be just enough to pay her bills and let her wallow in peace. (Although she would admit that her ideal wallowing in peace had a regular visitor in Baron.)

She'd decided she was going to do it, but only if she could get in to the same school as Baron. She asked him for help to pull her grades up and threatened to punch the smug look off his face if he said anything.

She saw her parents' excitement as she started to show interest in her school work again. They had a few explosive fights when they brought it up, Kara telling them it isn't a big deal and to just butt out, but she could feel their eyes on her if she sat at the table or on the couch to do homework. She decided to do her work in her room so they would leave her the hell alone.

Of course that wish didn't come true. She came home from school one day and her mother immediately pulled her into a tight hug, crying loudly into her ear. Kara stood still, wondering what was happening.

"This came in the mail today." Her mother wept, handing her the college brochure that had been addressed to her. Kara rolled her eyes and groaned, snatching the brochure out of her mom's hands and trying to storm away to her room.

"Honey, you're thinking of going to college? We're so proud." Her mother gushed.

"Can we just drop it?" Kara huffed.

"What are you thinking of taking? This is the school Baron goes to, isn't it?" Her mother kept going like she hadn't heard Kara at all.

"I don't know and yes- in that order. I have homework." She slammed the door to her room and thanked whatever twisted deity that was listening that her mother didn't come in anyway.

A few hours later, a knock on her door interrupted her studying.

"What?" She called. The door opened, her father sticking his head in the room.

"Dinner's ready." He told her with a smile.

"Be right there." She mumbled, turning back to her book to finish reading the paragraph.

"I…" Her father started speaking again before taking a small step inside the room, still standing mostly in the doorway. "I know your mother can be a little much at times-"

Kara snorted in reply, not looking up from her reading.

"But we are proud of you. Just wanted you to know that. See you in a few minutes." Her dad finished before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

She stared at the closed door, feeling a foreign happiness spreading through her chest. She didn't have the best relationship with her parents in recent years and she couldn't remember the last time she'd heard that from her father. It hit home with her more than her mother's shrieking had. Her mother was often emotional so she took her outbursts with a grain of salt. Her father's calm, level headedness made his statement all the more powerful.

Kara finished up the page before marking her place and making her way out to the dinner table. She wondered if her dad spoke to her mother before she got there. Although her mother was practically beaming, she didn't bring up the school thing again. It was a nice dinner, her parents not nagging her over anything as they kept a light conversation.

It wasn't until a few days later that her parents brought it up again.

"So, have you had a chance to look over the brochure? From Northwest?" Her dad asked casually.

"A little." She mumbled. She didn't want to get her mom too excited again.

"Any thoughts?" He prompted.

She shrugged, taking a bite of her pasta before answering. "I wanna go there."

"Know what you want to major in?" Her mother asked, surprisingly level.

"I dunno. There's a few I'm considering. Journalism seems okay."

"Journalism? Really?" Her father was surprised.

"Maybe. I don't know." She backtracked. "It just sounds neat. I probably won't get in."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that." Her father tried to recover.

"No, it's fine. I don't even know if I'm going to graduate on time so I probably won't get accepted." Kara grumbled.

"We're just surprised because we didn't know you had an interest in journalism. If you keep working hard-"

Kara sighed loudly, the sigh her parents knew meant she was done with the conversation. They'd heard it so many times. Her parents shared a look and dropped the conversation.

"I gotta go." Kara announced, standing as she took one last mouthful of pasta. Half of her plate was still untouched. "I'm meeting up with Baron, he's gonna help me study." She left the table quickly before her parents could stop her.

* * *

Kara kept working on her grades and was relieved to see an improvement, meaning all her work was actually paying off. She wrote her personal essay and sent it along with her application. Her parents were happy to supply the application fee.

She knew she wouldn't hear back for months, but she couldn't help but check the mail every day. She heard other students in the hallway gushing about their acceptance letters, making her increasingly antsier. She tried to tell herself it wasn't a big deal, that life would go on without it, that she shouldn't get her hopes up because good things just didn't happen to her… but she couldn't help it.

She got in from school on a Thursday and moved through the house, telling herself to not look through the pile of mail that would be sitting on the kitchen counter but knowing she would anyway. When she made it to the kitchen, her mother was pacing in front of the counter.

"What's up?" Kara asked, worried at her mother's behavior.

"It's here." She offered simply, holding an envelope out towards Kara. Kara saw the emblem in the corner of the envelope and felt her heart skip a beat despite the months of telling herself not to get her hopes up.

She tore the envelope out of her mother's grip, flipping it over with shaking hands to tear it open. Her mother crowded behind her, looking over her shoulder as she jerked the letter out.

"Dear Miss Bowers, we thank you for your application…" Kara read speedily, mumbling the words as she skimmed them, searching for the words that would cement the decision.

"Wait list…" She finally mumbled, feeling the excitement drain from her body as she read the words.

"You're on the wait list?" Her mother checked, searching the letter with her own eyes. "Honey, that's good. That means there's still a chance-"

"Small, small chance." Kara said, tossing the letter onto the counter.

"Honey, it's a bigger chance than you think." Her mother promised.

"Yeah, maybe. I'm gonna go call Baron." Kara shrugged her mother off dejectedly, dragging her feet as she left the room.

She threw herself onto her bed, disappointment settling into her bones. She took a deep breath before calling Baron.

It rang through to voicemail, Kara turning to look at her clock. She realized he'd be mid-practice and wouldn't have his phone on him so she hung up without leaving a message, choosing to text him instead.

 **Waitlisted. It's whatever ttyl**

She tossed her phone onto her bed beside her, staring at the ceiling.

She should have known better than to get her hopes up. Good things just didn't happen for her. No soul mate, no education. No future, really.

She rolled over, closer to her bedside table to turn on her iPod. The music flooded the room, giving her something to focus on that wasn't her depressing life.

"Kara, honey?" Her mother called through the door as she knocked a while later. "Dinner's ready."

"Not hungry." Kara mumbled.

"Are you sure? I can bring it to your room?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright. I'll leave you a plate in the microwave for if you change your mind."

Kara didn't respond, letting the music take over her thoughts again.

She didn't know how long had passed when a knock sounded on her door, louder than the timid knock of her mother.

"Still not hungry." She called weakly. The knock sounded again.

"What?" She groaned, rolling over and shoving her face into her pillow. The door opened

"I was gonna ask how you were doing," Baron's deep voice surprised her, making her roll onto her side to look up at the man. "But I guess not so good, huh?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked, sitting up.

"You didn't answer your phone when I called." He answered, sitting on the edge of her desk.

Kara frowned, patting the corner of the bed where she had last set her phone to find it empty. She smoothed her hand over the sheets to find the device but came up empty. She leaned over the edge of her bed and saw it sitting on her bedroom carpet, the little light blinking to let her know she had notifications.

"Oops." She grimaced, leaning down to pick it up. 3 texts and 4 missed calls from Baron were waiting for her.

"Got your message after practice. You didn't answer me so I got a little worried." He admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Sorry." She sighed, laying back on her side.

"Y'alright, shortstack?" Baron asked her as he moved to sit at the foot of her bed.

"I'll live. Always do, right?" She answered plainly.

"It's not the end of the world, you know." He told her.

"Sound like mom." She rolled her eyes, making Baron laugh.

"I mean it. I know lots of people who were waitlisted."

"Were you?"

The pause hung for long enough for Kara to know the answer before Baron spoke.

"No, but they scouted me. Offered me athletic ride and all that."

"So I'll just go back in time and learn a sport and we'll be dandy." Kara joked dryly.

"That guy who's helping me with math? You know him? He was waitlisted."

"So? One guy." Kara shrugged.

"Think of it this way. People usually apply to more than one place, right? They can only go to one school, so all these smart assholes are gonna pick their favorite and leave a bunch of openings." Baron explained, crawling into the bed beside her and pulling her into his chest. "Give it a month or so, you'll get in."

Kara snuggled into Baron's hold, trying to let some of her defeat go. Baron often pulled her into him when he felt she needed it. She had resisted at first but soon found it to be incredibly comforting for the large man to wrap himself around her. It let her let go of her worries and sadness, even if only for a second.

"You really think so?" She muttered into his shoulder.

"Mmhmm."

Kara usually hated when Baron was right - he could be a smarmy little shit when he wanted to be - but she was never so happy than when her official offer letter came in the mail just under two months later.

Her mother was waiting for her, like the last time she'd gotten a letter from the school, but this time she was sitting at the table, tapping her foot anxiously when Kara came in. The letter was sitting on the table in front of her.

"This is it, huh?" Kara wondered out loud as she picked up the letter.

"Whatever it says, we'll figure it out. You could apply again next year." He mother told her, trying to avoid the disappointment from last time.

Kara took a deep breath before opening the envelope. This time she felt steady and sure, knowing the letter would be telling her they didn't have room for her.

"Dear Miss Bowers we are pleased to… _pleased_." Her eyes widened at the word, skimming over the rest of the letter silently.

"You got in?" Her mother checked, standing.

"I got in." Kara answered, mouth agape. "I got in!"

* * *

Kara and Baron waved at her parents as they drove away, her mother's hysterical crying fading as the van got farther away from them.

"They're gone." Kara cheered, speaking while keeping the smile on her face so her parents wouldn't be able to tell what she was saying if they were still watching.

"You're an adult now, shortstack." Baron teased, dropping his waving arm onto Kara's shoulders.

"I don't feel any different." She admitted with a shrug, dropping the act now that she figured her parents were far enough.

"Give it time." He laughed, leading her away from the road.

"Thanks again for your help today."

"Anytime. What good is all that off-season training if I can't put it to use." He joked, flexing his free arm.

"I'm sure you had better things to do than hang out with a freshman all day." Kara teased back, her smile widening as she heard her own words. "I'm a freshman."

"Yes you are." Baron laughed, messing up her hair.

Baron gave her a tour around the campus, pointing out things of interest. Not just the buildings she would need to learn to navigate, but the insider tips he'd picked up over the years. Things like shortcuts, which cafeteria workers would give you extra food, what times to hit up the coffee shops to avoiding waiting forever in line.

Baron seemed to be popular enough, many students greeting him as they passed. A few of them asked who she was and Baron introduced her. A few gave the two of them a curious look at the way Baron kept his arm around her shoulders but they both ignored it. A few guys whose eyes lingered on Kara for a touch too long were glared at by Baron until they got the message.

Kara hadn't really thought about all the friends Baron would have at school. She knew he had the team of course, but she never put together how that would make him kind of popular. She grew self-conscious as more people stopped to talk. She had no friends except for him and practically the whole school seemed to know his name.

Baron ended the tour by guiding her back to her half-unpacked dorm room, offering to help finish unpacking. She took him up on his offer, using his height to put stuff onto the tallest shelves without needing to climb up on a chair.

"You're being quiet." Baron commented as they worked, shooting her a look. "I thought you'd be all excited, talking nonstop or some shit."

"Yeah, I'm excited." She told him, but even she didn't believe herself. Baron shot her a look, clearly not believing her either.

"Stop." He ordered, crossing his arms over his chest. He waited until Kara stopped organizing her books, turning to him with a sigh. "Sit."

They sat side by side on the edge of her bed, Kara staring at the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"You're not gonna forget me, are you?" She asked hesitantly.

"What?"

"You have so many friends…"

"Kara, I wouldn't call them friends. I barely know most of them."

"But they all knew you."

"I'm on the football team. Anyone that goes to the games knows who I am." He answered with a laugh. "I had classes last year with some of them. You're gonna meet a bunch of people."

"Probably not…"

"Hey, you know what the best part of college is?"

"What?" She grumbled.

"It's not high school. No one here knows anything about you yet except you're my friend. You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to tell them. Just give it time to settle in, you'll make friends."

"I'm not worried about making friends." She rolled her eyes. "I'm worried about losing the one I already have."

"Don't be stupid." Baron told her, pushing himself further up the bed and pulling her to lay down next to him.

"Pfft, maybe I don't need friends if they're gonna call me stupid." She shot back, snuggling into his side.

"That's the spirit."

Baron was right but Kara didn't plan on ever letting him know. His ego was big enough as it was.

She found herself slowly making friends in her classes and in her residence. She didn't have to tell them about her soulmate, avoiding the questions when they came up, and it felt like the black cloud that had been hanging over her most of her life was a little lighter than it had ever been.

She was enjoying her classes, finding them engaging and interesting. It had been a bit of a whim that led her to choose a journalism major but so far she was right. After being so closed off throughout high school, she was really enjoying learning other peoples' stories and finding unique ways to tell them.

She met a few soulbonded couples, and it was hard to be around them at first. They were sickeningly sweet and just reminded her of what she'd never have. The friends she got close to were single and picked up pretty quickly she didn't want to talk about soulmates. As far as she could tell, they all still had their bond but didn't feel the need to gush about it every second like the girls in high school had.

Her parents were beyond thrilled to see her flourish in her new environment to the point where they even stopped pushing the therapy. She'd already stopped going to group, arguing she didn't have time with her course load, but they still had her talking to her therapist every two weeks. They made her promise to let them know if she was feeling depressed or if she wanted to go back and talk to Dr. Abrams, but otherwise she was finally free. She was able to do what she wanted with her time and talk to who she wanted. She didn't have to share about her past or have everyone just inherently know she was the poor girl who never developed a soulbond the way they did in her shitty hometown. She almost felt… normal.

Normal like being a part of a study group that got together once a week to compare assignments and study for tests. Normal like the baristas at the cafe knowing her order when she walked in. Normal like going to house parties, or just having a few drinks with friends.

Halfway through second year, first semester under their belt, Kara and a few of her girlfriends were all piled into a dorm room, drinking to celebrate the end of the semester. In a few days, they'd all be heading their separate ways to spend the holiday with their families.

"Kara! I wanna ask you something!" Lindsey proclaimed loudly, slurring her words as she reached drunkenly towards Kara from across the room.

"What?" Kara giggled at her friend.

"Have you and Baron ever… yunno?" Lindsey giggled, setting down her drink to make obscene hand gestures.

Kara laughed, breaking into a blush as everyone turned their attention to her.

"You can't tell me y'all are _just friends_ " Trisha added.

"We are!" Kara squeaked.

"Nu-uh. You two are way too close." Tiff added.

"Plus he's pretty cute." Andrea sang, most of the girls nodding in agreement.

"Guys, stop it!" Kara hid her face in her hands.

"Not even once?" Trisha slurred.

"Not even a kiss?" Andrea asked.

"No!" Kara shouted, making everyone in the room giggle.

"Damn. I would'a bet against that." Lindsey pouted.

"I just wanted to hear the stories." Andrea admitted, sticking her tongue out.

"Well, he's tall so…" Tiff held her hands up, starting them close together but pulling them apart as the girls all laughed and hollered.

"Ew! Oh my god, stop!" Kara begged as the other girls all started laughing harder.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Andrea called, making all the other girls quiet down. "Does that mean he's fair game?"

"Leave him alone, he's like my best friend!" Kara whined as the girls giggled again.

"Sure, it's not because you want him all to yourself, is it?" Tiff accused.

"Ugh!" Kara groaned, flopping backwards onto the bed she was sitting on. "There's no convincing you idiots."

After a few more jabs and giggles, the topic of conversation thankfully changed. She was thankful that it had when only an hour later Baron knocked on Andrea's door. Kara was sure she blushed with the way everyone looked at her when he walked in.

"Hey, I've been trying to get a hold of you." Baron told Kara. She frowned and looked at her phone, not realizing she'd had it on silent all night.

"Oops." She giggled. "What's up?"

Baron shook his head at her. "I was on my way through campus, wanted to know if you needed help home."

"No, stay ai-" Tiff started to whine, but Andrea elbowed her in the ribs.

"That's so nice of you, Baron." Andrea gushed, swaying as she pushed Baron towards Kara. "She's a bit tipsy so I think we'd all feel better knowing you helped her home."

"I'm not that drunk, 'Drea." Kara argued.

"Yeah, right." Baron scoffed, looking at her.

"What?" Kara pouted.

"You couldn't walk a straight line if you tried. Let's go, shortstack." Baron offered her his hand.

"I wanna stay." Kara whined.

"I'm not coming back to get you in the middle of the night. It'll make me feel better to know you got home." He told her, making the girls coo about how cute it was.

"Fine." Kara frowned, taking his hand. She stumbled as he pulled her up but managed to stay on her feet.

"See what I mean?" He laughed.

"Shuddup." She grumbled.

"Thanks for making sure she gets there safe, Baron." Trisha told him.

"Any of you need help getting home?" He asked.

"I'm just across the hall." Trisha pointed in the direction of her dorm.

"Andrea said I could crash here." Lindsay shrugged.

"Hal is gonna pick me up later." Tiff added.

Kara leaned into Baron's side to stay upright and he wrapped an arm around her waist to help balance her.

"Don't drink too much." Baron warned lightheartedly as he waved goodbye to the tipsy women. Kara waved at them too before she changed to flipping them off as they made kissy faces at her.

The next morning she didn't remember the walk home, but she was pretty sure Baron had stopped her from trying to climb a tree to pet a red squirrel. She pushed through the light hangover, chugging water and popping some pain killers so she could pack to head home for the break. As she did, her friends' comments stuck in her mind.

She couldn't deny that Baron was attractive. He was fit from from his training, if a little thick. He had a great smile and the smattering of tattoos that had begun to adorn his body added an edge to his appearance. He was also nice - at least to her. She knew he was a bit standoffish when he wanted to be, but he'd never been anything but nice to her, even when they'd first met in SGS.

In a world where she had a soulmate, she supposed she would want it to be someone like Baron.

"Hey." The man in question startled her as he pushed open her door. "You should really lock this, you know."

"And maybe you should knock." She glared at him from where she was sitting, on the floor next to her empty suitcase. She'd been too consumed in her thoughts to start packing.

"I did. You didn't answer." He told her with a grin. "You're thinking way too hard about something."

"Maybe I knew it was you and didn't want to let you in." She shot back, willing away the heat flooding her face. Thank god he couldn't actually tell what she'd been thinking of. She looked away from him, not wanting him to question the blush.

"Well if you're gonna be like that, I'll just take this coffee I got you and leave." He scoffed.

"Coffee?" She perked up, turning his way and seeing the familiar take-out cup in his hand. She made grabby hands towards it.

"That's what I thought." He laughed, handing her the coffee before sitting on the edge of her bed.

She moaned as she drank, the coffee already the perfect temperature from Baron walking it over.

"So, when are your parents coming to get you?" He asked.

"Wednesday. When you headin' home?"

"Tomorrow."

Kara didn't answer, just say sipping her coffee.

"You're really hanging, huh?" Baron chuckled.

"Huh?"

"You're too quiet."

"Oh… yeah." Kara nodded.

Baron eyed her suspiciously for a moment before sliding down to sit next to her on the floor, groaning as he did. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." She answered, far too quickly to be true. Baron picked up on it and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Nothing, I swear."

"Is everything okay?" He asked cautiously. "Do you need to make an appointment with your doctor again or-"

"No, it's not that." She denied.

"You'd tell me if it was?"

"Absolutely." Kara promised with a small smile.

"Then talk to me."

Baron's face showed nothing but concern as he waited for her to respond. Kara bit her lip as she debated telling him about what had been on her mind all morning since she'd woken up.

"You can't make fun of me, okay?" She warned quietly.

"Would I ever?" Baron countered. Kara responded by shooting him a look, asking if he was serious. "Okay, that's fair… but I never would for something serious."

"The girls were talking last night… asking if we ever… hooked up." She mumbled, picking at a loose thread in her carpet. "They kept talking about how hot they think you are and that they didn't believe me that we'd never..."

"And that's bothering you?"

"Kinda. It got me thinking… I'm probably never gonna be with anyone, you know?"

"Why not?"

"That whole lack of a soulmate kinda throws a wrench in that, don't you think?" She laughed humorlessly.

"People screw around all the time, you don't need a soulmate to get laid." Baron pointed out.

"Oh really?" She asked with sarcastic enthusiasm. "Well, in that case, let me start going through the line of guys outside my door."

"You're always so dramatic." Baron scoffed.

"I'm realistic." She countered.

A silence fell over the room, Kara starting to refold a pile of shirts just for something to focus on.

"You asked." Kara grumbled as the silence dragged on.

"We could, you know." Baron replied.

"Could what?"

"Hook up." He answered nonchalantly, making Kara sputter.

"W-What?"

"I'm just saying," he shrugged, "if it's bothering you that much-"

"That's not what I meant by it's bothering me!" Kara defended.

"Okay, okay." Baron held his hands up defensively. "Sorry… I'm just trying to help."

"By offering to sleep with me like some… pity fuck?" She spat, scooting away from him.

"It wouldn't be pity."

"Oh, well now I feel better." She rolled her eyes.

"Kara, will you shut up for a second so I can explain?!" Baron boomed, making Kara freeze. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm not offering for pity, I suggested it because I understand, okay? Or did you forget how we met? I don't have a soulmate anymore either. Everything you're worried about, dying alone and all that? Me too, okay? Just because I don't talk about it every five seconds doesn't mean I don't think about it."

Baron paused, taking a deep breath and running his hand through his hair before he continued, calmer this time. "I offered because we're friends, in the same situation, and maybe we could help each other out. I didn't mean to make shit awkward so we don't even have to talk about it again."

Kara waited in silence, listening to everything Baron had to say. It wasn't the most outrageous plan she'd ever heard if she was being honest with herself.

"So, are we okay?" Baron asked when she didn't answer.

"I just… wouldn't want it to get weird." Kara worried out loud, letting on that she was at least considering it.

"Wouldn't have to. Only gets weird if we make it weird." Baron countered.

"Have you ever… _done it_?"

"A few times." Baron nodded. "You?"

Kara shook her head.

"We don't have to, 'specially not for your first time."

"But… I can trust you. More than I can some idiot I pick up at a kegger."

"Well, I can't argue that." Baron chuckled.

Kara chewed at her bottom lip as she thought about it, repeatedly glancing at Baron before looking away again.

"Hey, there's no pressure to do anything, okay?" Baron told her.

"I want to… I'm just nervous." She admitted.

"You sure you want to?" He asked gently, turning his body so he was looking at her straight on.

"Yeah. You might be my only chance."

"Wow, you know the way to a guy's heart." He deadpanned.

"Not trying to get to your _heart_." Kara shot back.

"True enough." Baron smirked.

"So, how do we do this?"

"Has the American schooling system failed you that much?" He laughed.

"Are we gonna sleep together or just insult each other until you leave?" Kara huffed.

Instead of responding, Baron pulled Kara onto his lap so she was straddling him, hands pressed against his chest to steady herself. She shrieked in surprise and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah, that shut you up quick." He boasted.

"Fuck you." Kara scoffed in return, no real heat behind it.

"Trying to."

"You're so gross-" Baron cut her off by pulling her into a kiss, his big hand on the back of her neck.

Kara squeaked softly in surprise against his lips, freezing above him. She'd never kissed anyone before and had no idea what to do. His lips moved against hers and she tried to mimic his movements.

"There you go." He murmured, the feeling of his voice vibrating against her lips making her shiver.

"Like this?" She whispered shyly.

"Mmhmm." He hummed, nipping at her bottom lip. She jumped at the soft pinch, gasping. Baron chuckled lowly at her reaction. Spurred on by his laugh, she nipped at his lip in return. His groan startled her.

Kara pulled back enough to speak without their lips connected. "You liked that?" She asked, unsure of herself.

"Mmhmm." Baron nodded as he kissed along her jaw. She tilted her head out of instinct, making a soft surprised noise at how much she enjoyed feeling his lips trailing closer to her neck as his arm snaked around her waist.

"Don't be quiet." He murmured against her skin. "Let me know what you like. What you don't."

"O-okay." She stuttered, sliding a hand up his neck, tangling in his hair as he moved down her neck. "That's nice."

"Good." He hummed.

She gasped as he reached a sensitive spot next to her collarbone. She felt him smirk against her skin before he stopped moving, focusing his attention on that spot.

"Wow, that's nice." She sighed, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into him. He scraped his teeth over the tender skin, more of a warning than a bite, making her whine.

Baron chuckled before nipping at the skin, making her arch into him involuntarily.

"Oh my god…" Kara whimpered before pulling him away from her neck to kiss him once more. She was more sure of herself, if only because she was she was starting to enjoy it too much to be self-conscious. She wasn't worried about her technique as she pressed their lips together, sliding her hand over his chest. She could feel his muscles under his shirt, toned from the hours of conditioning and practice.

Baron's own hands started to wander, making Kara squirm on top of him as he found ticklish and sensitive spots. He trailed his hand up and back down her back before resting on her ass.

"Hold on." He mumbled as he pulled back from the kiss. Kara was about to ask what he meant when he pushed himself off the floor with her still in his lap. She shrieked and wrapped her legs around his waist instinctively to stop from falling, his hand on her ass holding her up.

"I got you." He reassured her with a cocky grin and a squeeze to her ass. The squeeze made her jump, pressing them even closer together. Baron groaned at the friction and her eyes widened as she felt his erection pressed against her.

"We can stop." He reminded her, turning towards the bed.

"No." She shook her head.

With her reassurance she was still on board, Baron laid her on the bed, hovering over her. She kept her legs looped around his waist but stopped him from leaning in to kiss her again.

She gripped the bottom hem of his shirt. "Can I?"

"Go for it." Baron answered. She pulled his shirt up and he helped pull his arms through. Once it was off, she dropped it onto the bed beside them. She trailed her hands over his chest, surprised at how soft his skin was in contrast to the firm muscle.

"Can I?" Baron asked in return, slipping his fingers under her shirt.

"Guess it's only fair." She answered, unable to stop her voice from shaking. She'd never been topless in front of a boy before, but if she was going to go through with this she had to get used to the idea of doing new things.

Baron kissed her as he dragged his hand up her torso, her shirt slipping up along with it. She felt goosebumps rising up at the combination of his warm hand and the cool air hitting her skin. His fingers skimmed over her bare breast but didn't linger. The quiet moan that bubbled out of his throat let her know he appreciated that she hadn't bothered to wear a bra today.

He pulled back to finish pulling her shirt off, shamelessly staring at her chest as she fought the urge to cover up.

"Don't be shy." He told her as she blushed. "Gonna see a lot more of you than this."

"Can't we just… get to it?" She asked, nerves wreaking havoc on her system the longer this was drawing out.

"Trust me, alright? You're gonna wanna get warmed up first." He told her with a grin before diving in, taking her nipple into his mouth without much else warning. She gasped and moaned at the new sensation, her hand flying to the back of his head and gripping his hair. He groaned in response, his free hand pinching her other nipple.

"Holy shit…" She moaned, arching her back off the mattress. The movement caused her to grind against him, the friction pairing with everything else Baron was doing and setting her on fire. She experimentally rolled her hips against him again, making them both moan.

"Now you're gettin' it." Baron encouraged.

"Everything feels…. Wow…" Kara breathed, too many feelings coming from everywhere for her to describe.

"Just gettin' started." Baron chuckled as he rolled his hips against hers. Kara moaned, sliding her hands down Baron's back. She could feel his muscles tensing and relaxing under her fingers.

"Baron…" She whined, bucking her hips into his as he kept a slow rhythm with his own, grinding into her.

"What d'ya want, princess?" He hummed, sliding his fingertips into the waistband of her sweatpants.

"Please." Kara nodded, trying to get him to understand what she wanted without having to say it. Luckily, Baron was feeling generous and didn't tease her further. He slid his hand past the waistband of her sweats, but stayed outside her panties. He groaned just before he started rubbing light circles that made her gasp and writhe beneath him.

"Oh my god…" She squeaked, completely unprepared for the sensation.

"You're so wet." He groaned, nipping at her shoulder.

"More." She pled, bucking her hips against his hand to increase the pleasure. He obliged, the pressure growing as he sped up his motions. Kara moaned, letting her head fall back against her pillow as she panted. She grabbed at his forearm, trying to ground herself with something, _anything_.

"Baron," she moaned, voice cracking.

"Just let it go, sweetheart." He purred in her ear. She whimpered as he stopped, but soon realized he was sliding his hand into her panties, his fingers now rubbing her bare flesh. She cried out, bucking harshly against him as it intensified the feeling. One finger slid into her, making her groan, his thumb rubbing her clit steadily.

"R-right there, holy shit." She panted, biting her lip.

"Nu-uh. What'd I say?" Baron warned. "No holding back on me."

"I c-can't." She stuttered, shaking her head. "It's too much." Her own voice sounded foreign to her ears, so breathy and broken.

"Yes you can. You're doing so good. Just concentrate on how good I'm making you feel. Don't fight it." He continued, his deep voice right against her ear.

She felt the tension growing, that sweet, beautiful tension she'd heard the other girls talking about. Her toes curling, stomach on fire, hips bucking.

"Just let go. I've got you." Baron promised as a long whine escaped her throat.

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt herself reach a new height of pleasure, only to cry out loudly as she came crashing back down. Her body convulsed as she felt it spread from her core all the way through her extremities. Her back arched sharply off the bed, and she could vaguely hear Baron's voice encouraging her through her orgasm.

All too soon, she collapsed on the bed, still except for her rapid breathing and the fleeting, uncontrollable pelvic twitches. Baron was kissing her shoulder and neck as she caught her breath, feeling like she was on the best drugs known to man.

"How was that?" He prompted, his tone smug.

"That was… fucking amazing…" Kara panted. Baron chuckled as he pulled his hand out of her pants, helping her to pull them down. She gasped softly as the cool air hit her skin. She couldn't even bring herself to be self-conscious in her boneless, blissed out state.

Baron kissed her as he rolled on top of her. She felt his bare legs against hers and realized he'd taken his own pants off too. She tensed, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"We can stop if you don't want this." He promised, cupping her cheek.

"N-no, I do…" She told him shakily. "Do you have something?"

"Already put it on." He told her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded up at him, bracing herself as he reached down to grip himself. She bit her lip as she felt the tip against her entrance, gasping. She whimpered as he slid deeper, squeezing her eyes shut at the combination pleasure and pain spreading through her as she was stretched like she'd never been before.

Baron grunted over her as he bottomed out, breathing deeply. "Let me know when you're ready." He told her, his voice strained.

She kept her eyes clamped shut, breathing deeply. She jumped when Baron began stroking her clit again. The pleasure spread throughout her body, making it easier to forget about the discomfort. With a shaky breath, she nodded when she thought she was ready.

Baron set his hands on her hips and pulled out, making her grimace at the foreign feeling. As he thrust back in, the twinge of pleasure made her breath catch in her throat.

"Good?" He checked.

"Yeah. I think so." Kara nodded. "You can… try a little faster?" She suggested.

Baron sped up his trusts a little and Kara gasped, finding the pleasure stronger than the discomfort.

"Holy shit…" She breathed, dropping her head back.

"Yeah?" Baron smirked proudly above her.

"Yeah." She nodded, hands fisting in the sheets beneath her.

"Good." Baron huffed, leaning in and kissing along her collarbone.

Kara fumbled, knowing she should be doing something more than laying there, but didn't know what to do. She brought her hands up to Baron's back, running her hands over his bare skin. It felt a little silly, but she supposed it was better than nothing.

Baron picked her legs up, wrapping them around his waist. She moaned as it changed the angle of his thrusts, feeling him reaching deeper. She locked her ankles to help keep them in place. She felt the same pressure as before building up, but not quite to the same critical mass it had before.

Baron started thrusting harder, panting heavier. She could feel his muscles tensing in his back.

"Fuck. I'm close." He grunted, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he thrust hard and fast into her. She moaned at the increased pace, tangling a hand into his hair. It only took a few more thrusts until he froze, all his muscles tensing as he grunted.

Kara froze too, not sure what to do as her friend trembled above her, riding out the waves of his orgasm - at least, that had to be what just happened she thought. She could feel his muscles twitching under her legs and he gasped when he finally stopped holding his breath.

"Was that…?" She asked after the silence dragged on.

"Yeah." Baron nodded against her shoulder, tapping her thigh. She took the note and unhooked her legs. Baron rolled onto his back, boneless. She couldn't stop her eyes from trailing over his figure as he caught his breath, pausing when she got her first glimpse of his penis - her first glimpse of _any_ penis in person.

The condom was filled with his spunk but he was still hard, or at least partially hard. It had felt a lot bigger inside her than what it looked like. She cringed at the sight, hoping penises weren't so gross when they weren't wrapped in a tube full of jizz. She watched as his erection waned, calming down after his release.

"Did you…" Baron asked once he'd caught his breath, making her jump. She didn't want to get caught staring at his junk, even if it had just been inside her.

"Uh… no." She admitted, laying back down.

"Shit. Sorry." He cursed before he stood up. She watched as he pulled off the condom, tying it off and tossing it in her trash bin.

"It's okay. I did earlier." She shrugged it off.

"Nah, that's not good enough." Baron argued as he wiped himself off with his own sock. Kara wrinkled her nose at that but didn't say anything.

Baron got back on the bed, smirking at her as he trailed his hand up her thigh, laying his head on her hip.

"Really, you don't have-"

"I want to." Baron cut her off. "Unless you don't want me to. Thought you might enjoy it though."

He froze as he waited for her response.

It did feel really good the first time, so eventually she nodded, letting her legs fall open for him. She jumped when he brushed his fingers against her tender skin, already abused after one orgasm and her first penetration. He was gentle to start, getting her accustomed to it before becoming more forceful. She let her head fall back and her eyes closed as she focused on his ministrations.

"Ready for something new?" He asked while he was pumping two fingers in and out of her. She opened her eyes but didn't have time to ask what when she felt a warm, wet sensation on her clit. She groaned brokenly, back arching off the bed as his tongue flicked over the swollen nub repeatedly.

"Jesus, Baron!" She cried, her hand instinctively falling to his head. She tangled her fingers into his hair as he laughed against her skin, making it vibrate deliciously. "Holy shit, keep doing that."

Baron obliged, pumping his fingers while he alternated licking and sucking on her clit until she was shaking beneath him. It didn't take long until she felt herself tip over that edge once more.

He looked smug as he climbed up the bed, snuggling into her as she came down from her high. When she regained her senses, she noticed Baron sleeping soundly, using her stomach as a pillow. She was a little sore, but mostly comfy and incredibly relaxed. She closed her own eyes and let herself drift off too.

* * *

Baron traced his fingers over a large scar running up the left side of her ribcage, his head resting on her chest. "How've I never noticed this before?" He mumbled, voice heavy with sleep.

"How often have you seen me topless?" She teased, running her fingers through his hair.

"What's it from?"

"Car crash. I was too young to remember it I guess. My parents get real upset when I bring it up so we don't talk about it. Guess it was a pretty close call for me."

Baron nodded in understanding, not lifting his head. "Makes sense they don't wanna talk about it then."

"When I was 12 they finally explained it. I asked when I was younger but they always made up some story. They decided I was old enough to know, but my mom was just sobbing the whole time - you know how she gets." Kara chuckled. "So they explained it once and we don't talk about it anymore."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine. Like I said, I don't remember it. Just my mom that gets upset."

"Still depressing pillow talk." He chuckled, nuzzling into her. "'That was fun, let's talk about near death experiences.'"

"I read somewhere that the French call an orgasm a "little death" so it's not much of a stretch."

"Hmm, really?" Baron hummed. "Just call me the harbinger of death then."

Kara laughed as she felt Baron smirk against her skin. "I'm not calling you that."

"Grim reaper."

"Nope."

"You're no fun."

"Then get outta my bed."

"So touchy." He growled, poking her in the side and making her flinch.

"I'll kick your tall ass out, don't test me." She warned.

"I'd like to see you try." He chuckled.

Kara tried to push him out of the bed, and she thought she'd succeeded as Baron started to roll. However, Baron rolled onto his back, pulling Kara on top of him. Her legs bracketed his hips and she brought her hands down onto his chest to stop herself from face planting. He smirked up at her, hand on her waist.

"Well, how'd you get up there?" He purred.

"You're the worst." She huffed, running her hands over the ever growing tattoos on his chest.

"And what," he sat up, his face an inch from Kara's, "are you gonna do about it?"

Kara grinned before she kissed him hard, putting everything she'd just learned into it. Baron groaned into her mouth, wrapping his arms around her.

"I've created a monster." He joked into the kiss. Kara pulled away to laugh, pushing him down onto the mattress with a soft "oof" before pressing their lips together again.

* * *

The winter holiday passed as usual, Kara spending time with her family and texting Baron during her free time. She didn't see him during the break. She had plenty of free time but Baron's parents had planned a lot of family get togethers, not to mention all of his high school friends he was catching up with. She didn't mind, knowing she'd see him again when school started.

She spent the break anxious about seeing him again. He had spent the night, sleeping naked next to her after they'd had sex, and then he left the next morning to head home for Christmas. They hadn't had a chance to really talk about what was going to happen now that things had changed between them.

They had agreed to meet at the campus food court for lunch. She spotted him, head and shoulders over the crowd. The last time she had seen him, he was leaving after pulling all his clothes back on. After she had seen his expression, eyes clenched shut and mouth hanging open, as he tipped over that edge. How was she supposed to act like everything was just normal?

"Earth to Kara?" Baron called, suddenly right in front of her making her jump.

"Hey, Baron!" She greeted forcing a smile as he pulled her into a hug. She froze in his arms before weakly returning the hug.

"How was Christmas?" He asked releasing her. "Everything okay, shortstack?"

"Fine. Christmas was fine. Everything is fine." She rambled nervously. Baron shot her a look, clearly not believing her. She shrugged it off, avoiding eye contact. Luckily Baron dropped it and suggested they get their food.

The conversation was one-sided as they ate, Kara answering monosyllabically whenever possible.

"Dammit Kara, what the fuck is going on?!" He finally yelled, slamming his plastic fork onto the table. A few people sitting near them jumped, staring at the sudden outburst. Kara turned red under the gaze of the other students around her, dropping her face to hide her embarrassment. "Fucking… just talk to me."

"Everything is… weird." She mumbled.

"Nothing is weird except you." Baron argued.

"I don't know how to act around you," she admitted, "since we…"

She couldn't look at Baron and she couldn't bring herself to say it in the middle of the crowded dining hall. The silence between them seemed to last a lifetime.

"Is that all this is about?" He finally asked. Kara nodded, chancing a glance at him to gauge his reaction. He looked… almost relieved.

"If that's all it is, we don't have to do it again." Baron promised, reaching across the table to hold her hand.

"But… what if I want to?" She asked, even quieter than before.

"What?" He asked, leaning in.

"I said what if I want to? Do it again." She told him, face flushing at the admission. "I liked it, but I don't want anything to change between us."

"So it won't." Baron shrugged. "I don't get why this is a big deal."

"Shouldn't it be?"

"Doesn't have to."

Kara glanced around, wanting to make sure their table neighbors weren't listening. None of them seemed to be, but she was still embarrassed. "Look, can we go back to your room or something?"

The walk to Baron's was silent, Kara too nervous to talk about it while they were still in public. Once they were safe inside the dorm room, Baron fixed her with a hard look.

"Can we talk now?" Baron demanded, making Kara realize he had been itching to talk to the whole walk home. She nodded.

"Look, we slept together. I enjoyed it, and I'm pretty sure you did too. It can stop there or we can keep doing it, whatever, as long as you loosen up and don't make this weird! Nothing has to change, you're still my best friend!" He ranted.

"I don't like you." Kara blurted, making Baron flinch. "I mean, I don't _like_ like you."

"You're such a child." Baron laughed. "I don't _like_ like you either. We don't have to _like_ like each other to have sex sometimes."

"Stop saying _like_ like." Kara groaned.

"You started it." He shot back with a grin.

"Baron, be serious!"

"I am! Nothing has to change. We stay friends, and if we feel like having sex, we have sex. No big. If I want to and you don't, then we don't. If you want to and I don't… well, that's never gonna happen." Baron joked, making Kara glare at him. "I'm in my prime, I always want sex."

"Not helping." She huffed.

"Things will be the same, Kara. I promise." He knelt next to her. "It's not gonna be a fuck fest every time we're alone. We can still hang out like we used to."

"You promise?" She asked nervously.

"Yes. And we'll start right now, just to prove it to you." Baron declared, standing up and starting to set up his laptop to play a movie.

It took about 30 minutes, but Kara finally relaxed, curling into Baron's side the way she typically would during a movie night. Baron's hands never wandered and he didn't seem interested in making any moves. By the time he started a second movie, her earlier hesitation was forgotten.

* * *

Their arrangement lasted through the rest of Kara's college years, even after Baron graduated. They stuck together when Baron struggled to make his football career take off and through his transition to wrestling.

She was incredibly proud of him when he was signed to WWE. She had never been a wrestling fan, just barely following it through Baron's interest and the odd times it leaked into mainstream popular culture, but she started watching when he started to appear on TV. Once he settled into his place in Florida, he invited her down to visit. She was amazed by all the production gear and the energy of the live crowd. It was amazing. She loved being part of the NXT crowd as they reacted to him. Even if he was playing the bad guy, she cheered for him every time. It was the most incredible thing, and then he was called to the main roster.

Baron lead Kara through the backstage of the arena, his arm draped over her shoulders as she looked around in wonder. He couldn't stop himself from grinning proudly at her reaction. It was the first time Kara was able to visit him on the road. She had graduated shortly before he was called up and by the time he debuted, she was deep into her internship with a small newspaper. She had finally worked up the courage, and the seniority among the other interns, to ask for the time off.

"This is insane, Baron." She marveled. "It's so much bigger than Full Sail."

Baron chuckled, gently leading her away from walking into a road case. He knew from experience how much those could sting when you smacked into them. "It's alright."

" _Alright?_ Listen here you shit, just because you're a big shot now doesn't make this any less amazing." She took her eyes off the arena long enough to glare at him.

"I was always a big shot." Baron countered, proudly.

"You keep telling yourself that." She rolled her eyes before getting distracted by the hustle and bustle as crew members ran around getting things ready for the show.

"Corbin! There ya're."

Kara turned to see Finn Balor jogging towards them, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

"Oh sorry. Didn' see ya there. I'm Finn." Finn introduced, holding his hand out to Kara.

"I'm Kara. Nice to meet you." She told him honestly. "I'm really enjoying the feud you and Baron have going right now."

"T'anks." He smiled widely. "It's been fun kickin' his big arse e'ry night."

"Watch it, Balor." Baron warned playfully.

"Ya got time to go o'er our match later?" Finn asked Baron.

"Yeah, just let me get her settled in." Baron nodded.

"Can I come?" Kara butted in.

"I don' see why not." Finn shrugged with a smile.

"Don't encourage her." Baron rolled his eyes, earning him a poke in the side from Kara. "Yeah, yeah. I guess you can watch."

"Yay!" Kara cheered, doing a little happy dance under Baron's arm.

Finn chuckled at her enthusiasm and parted ways, promising to see them both later.

"He's a lot taller in person." Kara told Baron. "He always looks so small when he's fighting you."

"Everyone's tall compared to you." Baron shot back.

Kara made a face at Baron instead of saying anything back.

Baron continued to show her around the backstage, showing her as much as he could even though some things were still being set up. Catering was in full swing already and they both got something to eat.

Kara knew, of course, that all the superstars were just people and mostly played characters on screen, but she was still awed seeing them all sitting in catering. Some of the people sitting together and talking and joking were people she never would have thought would be friends from what she saw on TV.

"This is weird." She whispered to Baron, looking around the room as they sat

"What did you expect?" Baron questioned.

"I don't know, but I don't know any of them like you do. It's weird seeing them so… human." She shrugged, knowing it sounded stupid.

"Well there's only one tiny brunette that I know that willingly hangs around with Baron Corbin." A cheerful voice piped up from behind them, making Kara turn.

"Sami!" Kara exclaimed happily, jumping up and pulling the ginger into a hug. She had met Sami a few times back when he and Baron were in NXT together. She had thought he was a great guy with a good sense of humor and she really liked his taste in music.

"Hey Kara." Sami hugged her back. "Baron never told me you were coming."

"He didn't?" Kara frowned, pulling back to look at Baron.

"Of course he did, it's all he's been talking about." Sami laughed.

"Yeah, laugh it up Zayn." Baron scoffed, more playful than annoyed.

"I'm so happy you and Kevin are working together again. You guys are amazing in the ring." Kara gushed. When she had first met Kevin, she didn't believe for a second that he and Sami were soulmates. They were such opposites. Kevin's energy seemed to come from a place of anger or frustration, where Sami's came from happiness. It wasn't until they all spent an evening together at a bar that she saw the way the two of them balanced each other out.

"Thanks." Sami waved off her praises with a blush. "It's pretty awesome getting to be in a storyline with him."

"Where is the big lug?" Kara asked.

"Trainer's. Getting his shoulder worked out a bit. I said I'd bring him some food." Sami explained.

"Well, don't let us keep you. Tell him I better see him at some point tonight."

"Of course." Sami clapped her on the arm before waving at Baron. The ginger scurried towards the catering spread, piling up two plates for himself and Kevin.

"Aw man, I miss Sami." Kara whined.

"He literally just left." Baron pointed out.

"I mean when I'm not here. I need to keep in better touch with that guy." She clarified, throwing a grape at Baron.

The two had finished eating and were on their way out of catering when Roman Reigns walked through the door, nearly bumping into them.

"Oh! Sorry." He apologized after nearly running Kara over.

"Don't worry about it," she waved him off. "This one runs me over all the time." She joked, pointing at Baron.

Roman chuckled and Kara couldn't help but take him in. He was so much bigger in person than he seemed on TV. His hair, which only added to his imposing stature when he was on TV, was tied into a neat bun. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and basketball shorts, but he even made the casual attire look put together. He had a cut over his left eye, being held together by stitches that poked out of his skin.

"Roman, I've told you about Kara, right?" Baron spoke up.

"Ahh, yeah. Finally a face to go with the name." Roman smiled, offering Kara his hand. She couldn't help but admire the tattoo that wound its way up his arm. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Kara answered, reaching for his hand. Their hands clasped and Kara found herself wondering how his hand was so warm… not warm… hot?

She gasped as it felt like her hand was on fire, the warmth quickly spreading up her arm. She vaguely heard Roman curse as the heat hit her chest. It was suffocating. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and she couldn't breathe. As soon as the heat hit her head, she felt her knees buckle as everything turned black.

* * *

Kara woke up, hearing murmurs of quiet talking around her. She wondered who was in her room and what they were talking about - at least they were being quiet in an attempt to let her sleep. Slowly, she recognized one of the voices as Baron and smiled softly to herself. She liked it when Baron had time to visit. He had such a busy schedule on the road.

That's when she realized she wasn't in her bedroom. She was on the road with Baron.

She opened her eyes, groaning and blinking against the light overhead.

"Kara? Are you awake?" Baron spoke next to her before his face appeared in her line of vision. "Oh thank fuck."

"What happened?" She mumbled, bringing a hand up to her head.

"You passed out. Scared the crap out of me." Baron filled in.

"Did I hit my head or something?" She asked, sitting up. Her head hurt and she felt foggy.

"No, I caught you. Does your head hurt?"

"A bit." She nodded.

"Kara, I'm Travis, one of the doctors on staff." The other man in the room intervened. Kara watched him as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "Do you mind if I take a look at your head?"

Kara shook her head and dropped her hand, letting the man inspect her. Baron took her hand in his as the doctor felt around the areas of her head, massaging with his fingertips and looking for any bumps or tender spots.

"Do you remember what happened?" The doctor asked.

"Not really. We were in catering, I think." Kara answered, Baron nodding.

"And you ate just before, right?"

"Yes. Even had breakfast this morning." Kara told him.

"What about water? Staying hydrated?"

"Could probably drink more water, but I think I'm okay." She admitted.

Travis worked his way around to the front of her head, nearing the spot she could feel the dull pain throbbing from. She winced out of instinct as he reached the spot but it didn't hurt any more or less from the pressure of his fingertips.

"Pain?" Travis asked, seeing her tense up.

"It hurts but… you didn't make it worse, no." Kara told him, confused.

"I see." He hummed, moving over to write something.

"What happened?" She asked Baron.

"The fuck if I know." Baron told her. "You just passed out."

"Do you have a headache, aside from that one spot above your eye?" Travis asked.

"A little bit… It feels like I can't concentrate. It's... loud?" Kara tried to explain how she felt.

"Loud? Got it." Travis nodded as he wrote some more notes. "I'll be right back, okay?" He smiled at Kara and Baron before leaving them in the small trainer's room.

"How long have I been out? I didn't miss the show, did I?" Kara asked, worried.

"Nah, it's only been about 20 minutes. Long enough to give me heart attack, but that's about it." Baron teased.

"Sorry." Kara sighed, laying back on the cot.

"Don't. It's not your fault." Baron told her, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Are you gonna have time to meet Finn?"

"Don't worry about me. We'll figure it out."

"Are you-"

"Yes I'm sure, and no I'm not leaving you here on your own." Baron cut her off with a knowing look.

"Fine." She relented with a pout.

"Just wait for the-"

Kara cut Baron off with a hiss of pain, her hand instinctively shooting up to her forehead again.

"What's wrong?" Baron jumped.

"My head… hurts worse." She whined. He let go of her hand to shout out the door for the doctor to come back.

"It's fine." She tried to tell him. It wasn't unbearable, just a spike of pain she hadn't expected. "It's already fading."

"Don't you "it's fine" me." Baron warned her with a stern look. "You don't get to "it's fine" when you literally lost consciousness."

"What's wrong?" Travis reappeared in the door, looking worried.

"Her head started hurting again." Baron answered before Kara had a chance to.

"It's fine. It's already faded. It just flared up for a second." Kara dismissed, ignoring Baron's glare.

"Let's see." Travis spoke as he pulled off the pair of gloves he had on, switching them out for a new pair. "The pain is right about here, isn't it?" He put his fingers on the exact spot Kara felt the pain, making her flinch. Once again, the pressure didn't hurt at all.

"Yes." Kara confirmed. "What do you think it is?"

"Well, I have a theory but... It's an odd one." He admitted, pulling off the gloves again. "Wait here for a second." He told the two of them before leaving the room again.

Baron and Kara waited in silence, both a little nervous at what the "odd theory" could be. Kara bit her lip as Baron bounced his leg.

Travis reappeared only a few seconds later, Roman just behind him. As Kara and Roman's eye's locked, it felt like time stood still. His deep, dark eyes matched the surprise in hers as they looked at each other, Roman stopped in his tracks in the doorframe.

"Well? What is it?" Baron asked. "What's it got to do with Roman?"

"H-Hi." Kara stuttered, greeting Roman nervously. Her chest felt like it was on fire again, but this time it was a pleasant warmth, like slipping into a hot tub or drinking a hot chocolate on a cold day.

"Hi." Roman replied, seemingly dazed himself.

"Well," Doctor Travis chuckled, crossing his arms. "That looks like a soul bonding if I ever saw one."

"What?!" Baron exclaimed, startling Kara and Roman out of their own world.

"Huh?" Kara hummed.

"Kara, the pain you're feeling is through your soulbond. You're feeling the cut Roman has above his eye. Probably feeling the pull of the stitches more than anything else." The doctor filled in.

"That's not possible, Doc." Roman shook his head.

"What he said." Kara agreed, pointing at Roman.

"Oh really?" Travis chuckled, pulling on a glove. "Even throwing out that look the two of you just shared-" The doctor stepped towards Roman before prodding at his stitches. Roman hissed and batted his hand away as Kara whimpered and grabbed at her head.

"You felt that?" Baron asked Kara.

"Yeah." Kara nodded. "But…"

"There's some mistake." Roman declared, his voice loud and commanding. "My soulmate died. I don't have one so she can't be it."

"I agree, it's an odd case, usually soulmates-" Travis began only for Roman to cut him off again.

"There is no case." Roman spoke firmly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not your soulmate." He told Kara, pausing as they locked eyes once more before storming out of the room.

Kara watched him go, her heart feeling heavy as she swallowed around the lump in her throat. She felt compelled to follow him, but she barely knew him.

"You told me you didn't have a soulmate." Baron whispered beside her.

"I don't." Kara answered automatically, it having been the response for most of her life.

"Then what the hell was that?!" Baron questioned, voice rising.

"I don't know!" Kara began to cry, the constricting in her chest paired with Baron's anger making her emotions tip over the edge.

"Kara, did you ever feel a soulbond?" Travis asked curiously.

"N-no. Never, I swear." Kara sobbed, trying to convince Baron.

"And you didn't feel anything different when you looked at Roman, right? When the two of you first met." He continued.

"No!"

"This is… I've never heard of this before." Travis mumbled to himself, turning to look through some files he had on the table.

"I want to go." Kara stated firmly through her tears.

"Is she good to go?" Baron barked at Travis.

"I've no reason to keep her. She's healthy. Time with Roman would h-"

"Let's go." Baron told her, cutting off the doctor as he helped Kara off the cot. She hid her face into his chest as she stood, embarrassed that she was crying. Baron sighed softly, scooping her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist to hold herself up. "Shh, I got you."

Kara was clingy for the rest of the night, the confusion and pain she was feeling being mirrored by the foreign feelings probing into her brain. Confusion, fear, disbelief, anger bubbling up at random moments like parasitic emotions she didn't want to feel. Baron was silent, but let her cling to him until it was time to work through his match with Finn.

"Do you wanna come sit beside the ring and watch?" Baron asked, to which she only shrugged.

"You're gonna have to let me go, you know."

She took a deep breath before she let him go, feeling even worse without someone to cling to. She felt so lost and confused, more than she ever did when she was low as a teenager. Back then she was sure she was meant to be alone and as bitter of a pill as that was to swallow, at least it was a certainty. Now, it was all up in the air. She really wished all the foreign thoughts and feelings would get out of her head so she could think straight. She was having a hard enough time keeping her own thoughts and emotions in check without the others seeping into her consciousness.

She felt someone bounce down into the couch next to her, arms wrapping around her before she had much of a chance to look who it was.

"Trouble in paradise?" Sami's familiar voice asked. The question was such a silly, harmless question from Sami, but he had no idea how close he was to the truth.

Kara whimpered and buried her head into his shoulder as a fear seemed to take over the foreign emotions in her brain. She hated having no control over what she was feeling.

"Hey, hey. I was only kidding. It's okay." Sami comforted her, rubbing her back and letting her crawl up into his lap. "If you need a good cuddle, I can call Kevin. He's the cuddliest. But don't tell anyone. Don't want to ruin his tough guy image, eh?"

Kara snuffled a half-assed laugh at that, but didn't let go of Sami.

"You can talk to me." Sami told her, rubbing her back. "I won't judge, or tell Baron."

"I wouldn't even know where to start." Kara admitted in a quiet voice, shaking her head.

"The beginning works." Sami suggested with a grin.

When Kara shook her head again, Sami decided instead to tell her funny stories about growing up with Kevin and their adventures together on the indies. She couldn't help but laugh at some of them, albeit half-heartedly.

Sami stayed with her until he had to go get ready for the show, leaving her by herself again. She didn't know what was taking Baron so long, but by the time the show started she guessed he was either avoiding her or needed the time to get into character.

She wandered around until she found a monitor set up that wasn't too crowded or in the way so she could watch the show. Superstars came and went, some she knew and some she didn't. Either way, small talk and commentary was exchanged, but often Kara found herself zoning out.

Baron's match against Finn was second last of the night. By the time it ended, she was the only one still at her monitor, many of the other superstars either leaving already or getting their things ready to leave as soon as the show was over.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as a promo played before the final match. It was Baron asking her where she was. She explained to him the best she could where she was, not knowing the arena, and he said he'd be there to get her once he showered and packed up his gear. Just as she slipped her phone back into her pocket, Roman's music hit for the main event. She turned back to the monitor and her eyes glued to the Samoan as he made his way to the ring. Finally, the excess noise she'd been feeling in her mind all night was dulled. It was still there, but it felt like someone had turned it down, or lowered the bass. She felt calmer, which was odd considering the rush of adrenaline prickling the periphery of her mind.

The match started and she couldn't help but flinch at every bump Roman took. It only took a few bumps to realize she wasn't just flinching out of sympathy, but she could actually feel the faint twinge each time he hit the mat. If he fell on his arm, her arm stung. If he landed on his back, her spine tingled. After a particularly rough bump, she felt an awful sting above her left eye. She knew, even when Roman's face was shielded to the camera, that he had pulled his stitches. Roman flipped his hair up out of his face, blood trickling down his temple.

"It's true." Baron speaking behind her made her jump. She hadn't even heard him arrive. She turned to see him standing, both their bags in his hands.

"What?"

"You've felt every damn bump. I saw you flinch. You reached for your forehead before the camera caught any blood… he's your soulmate." Baron told her, frown on his face.

"He can't be… I don't have one." She shook her head, even though it was getting harder and harder to deny.

"Why would you lie to me like that? To everyone?" Baron hissed.

"I didn't lie. I've never felt anything like this before. I've never had a soulbond. Do you know how much easier my life would have been if I did? Why would I lie?!" Kara argued, voice raising as she did.

"I don't know, for attention?" Baron scoffed, making Kara's jaw drop.

"You think… all these years… Fuck you, Baron!" She screamed, pushing him hard with both hands. She could feel herself tearing up but was resolved to not cry in front of him while he was being an asshole. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for any of this! You think I wanted to feel like a fucking outcast my whole life?"

"I don't know. Did you?"

"No, you delusional prick!" Kara yelled. "You're supposed to be my best friend, how can you accuse me of something like this?"

"You lied about having a soulmate for years, don't you get started with me about best friends." Baron sneered.

"I didn't lie! God, I wish I had! Do you even know how much I wanted to be normal when I was a teenager?" Kara spat. "I had no friends, no soulmate, nothing!"

"And I fucking fell for all of it." Baron sneered.

"Hey!" A loud shout caught their attention, both turning to see Roman, fresh from the ring, storming towards them. Kara was surprised, she hadn't even realized the match had ended. His hair was still damp, cascading down his shoulders, and the blood was still trickling down his face. "What the hell are you doing?! I could feel it all the way out in the ring."

"Fuckin' unbelievable." Baron laughed maliciously.

"Feel what?" Kara asked, ignoring Baron. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as he stormed down the hall. He looked like a caricature of an enraged god, his muscles glistening in the light.

"How upset he was making you." Roman explained, stepping between them and getting into Baron's face. He shielded Kara from Baron's view as he went toe-to-toe with him.

"You do not want to step to me right now." Baron warned, not backing down.

"Roman, stop it." Kara pulled at Roman's arm, trying to get him away from Baron. She couldn't deny the tingles in her hands as she touched his sweat dampened skin.

"Yeah Roman, listen to your little soulmate." Baron gloated.

"We're not-" Kara began, only to be cut off by Roman.

"Exactly. Mine, not yours. So walk away before I make you." Roman growled.

Kara was stunned into silence. Roman called her his soulmate even after he had denied it earlier.

"Have fun with her." Baron laughed maliciously, dropping Kara's bag at Roman's feet. "But keep in mind that everything she knows, I taught her. Everything you do, I was there first."

"Baron!" Kara gasped. She couldn't believe Baron was talking about her like that.

"Last chance." Roman's voice was deadly serious. "Walk. Away."

"Gladly." Baron hissed, turning on his heel and storming down the hallway.

Kara was shocked, rooted to the spot. She wanted to go after Baron, but she wasn't sure if she would apologize to him or slap him for what he'd said about her. She also wanted to stay with Roman, but at the same time run from it all. She was so fucking confused.

"It's okay, baby girl." Roman cooed, his defensive posture changing as he turned, pulling her into his arms. She melted into his embrace - it felt so right to be in his arms, like home. She couldn't stop herself from letting go, crying into his vest. "There's no talking sense to him right now. Let him cool off." He soothed, rubbing her back. "Although I still might punch him in the face…" His voice rumbled through her, the deep vibrations rattling her chest as he growled the last statement.

Kara noticed the small crowd that had gathered in the hallway, a few remaining superstars and crew members that were standing nearby but not looking their way, trying too hard to look nonchalant to have not been listening.

She dropped her gaze, face heating up in embarrassment at once again becoming the center of attention backstage. Her duffle bag was still on the floor in front of them.

"I was supposed to stay with him tonight." Kara mumbled. She wanted to get out of the arena, away from all the prying eyes and ears that were engrossed in her business, not to mention how emotionally exhausted she was from everything - but she didn't know where she would go.

"Stay with me." Roman offered.

Kara considered it. She could probably crash with Kevin and Sami, or try her luck showing up at Baron's room - if she could figure out where it was.

"Please?" Roman whispered into her hair, making her shiver.

"Okay." She agreed before she could stop herself.

Roman unwrapped his large, tattooed arm from around her, scooping up her duffel bag with ease. "Let me change and we can go. I'll shower at the hotel."

Kara nodded silently as Roman led her towards the locker room. He glared at anyone who looked their way, daring them to say something. Kara was thankful they didn't.

Roman led her into the locker room after making sure it was clear. Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman were both in there, finishing packing up their gear but fully clothed. Even so, Kara sat on the bench and kept her gaze on her feet as she waited. She wasn't sure what Roman had said to them before letting her in, but other than a quick, polite greeting they left her alone.

She could feel little twinges of soreness while Roman changed in the shower area of the locker room, just around the corner. The residual pains of the match travelling to her mind through their bond. She didn't want to think about the bond, or the awful things Baron had said. She mostly just wanted to go back to this morning when everything was normal- or as normal as they had ever been in her life.

She was startled out of her own thoughts as Roman kneeled in front of her, falling into her line of sight. She looked up and saw they were alone in the locker room, Braun and Bobby having already left.

"You're killin' me over here, Kara." He told her with a soft, pained smile.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"I can feel how upset you are." He told her, cupping her cheek.

"You can?" She asked, biting her bottom lip. She didn't miss the way his gaze flickered down to her lips at the subtle movement.

"Can't you feel me?" He questioned, pulling her lip free with his thumb.

"Yes." She admitted shakily, almost scared to admit it. Her lip grazed Roman's thumb as she spoke. "But I don't know how."

"Me neither." Roman admitted, moving his hand to tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding her breath while Roman had been touching her lips, letting herself relax with a shaky sigh. "One step at a time, okay?"

"One step at a time." She agreed with a nod.

* * *

Roman held open the door to their hotel room for the night, letting Kara walk through. She flicked on the light switch next to the door before walking further into the room. It was a nice but typical hotel room. Desk, loveseat, TV, mini fridge, bed. One bed. Well that was going to be a problem.

"Shit…" Roman cursed under his breath. "I wasn't really expecting company when I booked the room."

"It's fine. I can take the loveseat." She told him.

"I can call down for another room." He insisted. "Or at least get you a cot."

"It's fine Roman. Really." She reassured him. "I'm sure I'll fit."

"As long as you're sure. At least let me call down for extra blankets."

"Okay." She agreed. Roman picked up the hotel phone, calling down to the front desk as she set her bag down next to the love seat before sitting down.

Roman finished on the phone and sat on the opposite ends of the loveseat, their thighs just barely touching. It wasn't a very long loveseat and Roman was a big man.

"You don't have to be so nervous." Roman told her.

"I'm not." She replied, too quickly for it to be true.

"I can feel how nervous you are." Roman chuckled.

Kara didn't have a response to that. She wasn't used to the soulbond at all and she didn't like that even though he barely knew her, the bond gave Roman the ability to read her like a book.

"I'm gonna shower," he told her as he stood, bending down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "Make yourself at home, okay? The blankets should be here soon."

Even as he left the room she felt his worry. She could only imagine he was worried about the same things she was. Was this even real? Was this some weird fluke? The soulbond appeared out of nowhere, what if it disappeared just as easily?

She was roused out of her thoughts with a knock on the door. Roman was still in the shower, so she got up and answered the door.

"Baron?" She asked in surprise, having expected it to be a staff member with the blankets they had requested.

"Of course you're here." He sneered.

"Where should I have gone? You left me at the arena." She shot back, crossing her arms.

"Where is he?" Baron ignored her question, pushing past her easily into the room. She fell back against the open door as he stormed by. He hadn't pushed her hard, just enough so that he could get past her into the room, but it still surprised her.

"What are you doing?" Kara huffed, wishing she was big enough that she could have stopped him.

"Is he in the shower?" Baron asked, pointing to the closed bathroom door. "Did you already fuck him?"

"Baron!" Kara gasped.

"That's not a no." He laughed maliciously.

"What the fuck is your problem! Get out!" Kara yelled, advancing on him.

"Or what, you'll make me?" He laughed again.

"Why are you being like this?" Kara asked quietly. She could hardly believe the man in front of her was the best friend she'd known for years. She had no idea he could be this cruel, least of all to her.

"Something about all this is wrong, Kara. People don't just spontaneously get soulmates." Baron ranted. "He's done something, I don't know how, but now you think he's your soulmate."

"He is."

"No he isn't! You don't have one!" Baron shouted, pulling at his hair in frustration. "Unless you've been lying to me."

Another knock at the door interrupted them, Kara shaking her head at Baron in frustration before leaving him to answer the door. This time it was the employee handing off the spare blankets, which Kara took with a polite thanks. The door had barely closed when the bathroom door opened. Roman stopped in his tracks seeing the other man in the room.

"The fuck are you doing here, Corbin?" Roman demanded, hair dripping. Kara couldn't stop herself from following the droplets of water with her eyes as they streamed down Roman's bare chest, over his pecs and abs, before being absorbed into the towel hanging low around his waist. Dangerously low.

"What've you done to her?" Baron sneered.

"Nothing... yet." Roman smirked smugly. Kara gaped at the implication, feeling her face flush as she tried to push down the excitement it incited in her gut.

"What fuckin' Samoan voodoo did you put on her to make her think you two are soulmates?" Baron rephrased his question, speaking slowly as he took a few steps towards Roman.

"Samoan voodoo? Are you simple?" Roman shot back, stepping up to Baron.

"Guys, guys!" Kara ran between them, dropping the blankets so she could hold a hand to both of their chests. "Stop this!"

Neither man responded, staring each other down over Kara's head while her right hand, the hand holding Roman back, felt like she was holding it to a sparkler. Warm tingles spread through her fingers and palm.

"Baron, we're just as confused as you are, okay? I have no idea why this happened. Give us a chance to figure it out." Kara begged.

Baron was the first to break eye contact, dropping his gaze down to Kara. He was quiet for a moment before admitting "I don't want you to get hurt."

"The only one hurting her is you, Corbin." Roman pointed out. "And if you open your mouth too many more times, I'll make you regret it."

"I can take care of myself." She promised. "Until we figure this out, can you two just please play nice?" She asked, looking between them. "I'm not asking you to be best friends, but… I'm already freaking out over here, I don't need to be playing referee for this pissing game on top of it. If this _is_ real… you two need to learn how to get along. For me."

There was a tense silence in the room while both men waited to see who would back down first.

"You told me your soulmate died when you were a kid. Did you lie to me?" Baron interrogated Roman, not backing down.

"No. Everything I told you about it was the truth." Roman confirmed.

"If you're doing this… If you hurt her-"

"I won't." Roman interrupted him.

"If you hurt her, I'll fucking end you, do you hear me." Baron sneered.

Roman nodded once, indicating he understood.

"Do you want to stay here or come back to my room?" Baron turned his attention to Kara, still standing between the two men.

"You're still welcome to stay here," Roman told her, "but it's up to you."

"Um…" Kara dropped her hands from the men's chests, trying to decide. "I think I'd like to stay here. Talk to Roman a bit more." She turned to Roman. "If you're sure that's okay."

"Of course, baby girl. I'd like that." Roman smiled down at her. His smile paired with the pet name made her stomach do a summersault.

"If anything happens and you wanna leave just text me, okay? Anytime." Baron told her.

Kara nodded, promising him she would.

Baron still seemed hesitant to leave her. "I'm sorry for all that shit-"

"We can talk about it tomorrow." Kara interrupted, too tired to get into it again.

Baron nodded, defeated, and shot Roman one more glare before stepping away. "For fuck sakes Reigns, put on some clothes, will you?" Baron huffed as he opened the door.

The two were left alone, both realizing how very little was currently covering Roman, and had been for a while.

"Uh, I… Forgot to grab clothes when I went in." He explained.

"Yeah… I'll… I'll just go sit. Take your time." Kara nodded, suddenly trying to look anywhere but Roman's bare chest. As he dug through his suitcase, she flipped on the TV, trying not to think about how warm his skin had been under her hand when she had been between him and Baron, or how much she wanted to spend hours tracing the patterns of his tattoo.

"Bathroom's yours if you want it." Roman spoke just behind her, making her jump. She hadn't even heard him go into the bathroom let alone come out. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of grey sweatpants that sat low on his hips. His hair was pulled back into a neat bun and she kinda wanted to pull it free.

Before she could do something stupid, she jumped up, muttering a quick thanks as she grabbed her duffle bag and ran into the bathroom. She closed the door and leaned against it, taking deep breaths as she tried to get her head on straight. Sure, he looked better than anyone had any business doing in plain grey sweatpants, but she didn't have to lose her mind over it.

Those emotions on the edges of her mind prickled up with a sense of smug pride and she briefly wondered what Roman had to be so proud about. That's when she remembered he could sense what she was feeling too.

She hid her face in her hands with a groan, feeling her skin heat up. She couldn't even have private thoughts about the man. He'd know about them. She was really starting to hate this soulbond business. Why did she spend most of her life wishing for one?

She tried to distract herself by showering and getting ready for bed. If she kept her mind on the task at hand, she couldn't broadcast anymore embarrassing thoughts to Roman. The pride slipped away from the edges of her mind, switching to comfort. The longer she was in the bathroom, the comfort slowly gave way to an anxiousness that had her trying to hurry up. Roman was getting impatient and the feeling was putting her on edge again.

She opened the door, coming out in the t-shirt and shorts she had packed to wear to bed. When she was sharing a room with Baron, they were fine - nothing fancy by any means. Now she found herself wishing she'd packed something a little nicer. She was still in the midst of making her first impressions with her soulmate, extremely unexpectedly.

Roman was sitting on the loveseat, the television scrolling through the menu channel as she had left it. His head was down, looking at his phone. Kara took a deep breath and sat next to him.

"Hey." She greeted awkwardly. He looked up from his phone, setting it down on his thigh to give her his undivided attention. Despite the wave of nerves she could feel rolling off of him in her mind, he smiled when he saw her.

"Hi." He responded in kind, angling his body towards her. The two stared at each other, Kara searching for something semi-intelligent to say to him. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as her foot bounced.

"How are you possibly this nervous?" She laughed awkwardly, unable to stand the tension in her head anymore.

"You feel that, huh?" He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes! You're like… a Samoan god, how am _I_ making you nervous?"

"Well, you go your whole life thinking your soulmate is dead, you're caught a little off guard when you finally meet them." He admitted. His fingers drummed nervously on top of his thigh before he moved his hand to her knee. The contact made her freeze, staring down at his large hand. She didn't know if the contact calmed him or if it turned the volume down on their bond, but those nerves that had been tingling along the edges of her mind were suddenly bearable.

"Well shit…" She breathed. She hesitantly rested her hand on top of his, surprised to find how warm and smooth his hand was. She started tracing the edges of his tattoo with her fingers, only daring to go halfway up his forearm before trailing back down again. She could feel the goosebumps raising on his skin under her fingers.

"Why did you think I was dead?" She asked in a hushed tone, almost scared to break the comfortable silence they had settled into instead of the awkward, nervous one.

"I felt it." He told her, matching her volume. "I was seven, playing in the yard with my cousins. Summer break. I was used to the bond… feeling happy or sad or even scared for no reason, but this was different. It hurt. I collapsed from the pain, crying. I eventually passed out from it so my mom took me to the hospital. I woke up and the bond was gone. I didn't feel anything anymore. It was just… empty."

Kara hadn't looked up at him as he spoke, still tracing the lines of his tattoo. She slid her hand back down his forearm as he paused, resting her hand on top of his. Slowly, his hand flipping under hers until they were palm to palm. She watched as his larger fingers linked with hers.

"They told me I felt my soulmate die." He whispered.

Kara finally looked up, compelled by the pain in his voice. She swallowed hard as she saw the intensity of his gaze. "Then why am I here? How are we soulmates if I never had one and yours died?"

"I don't know." Roman admitted. "It makes no sense, but I feel it."

"What do you feel?"

"It feels like the bond is back. The one I lost as a kid."

"I don't know what that feels like. I never had a bond." She told him, surprised at how easy it was to open up to him.

"It feels like you're under my skin." He tried to explain. "It feels like I'm drawn to you and I never want to let you go. It feels like I've known you my whole life even though we just met."

Kara nodded, understanding what he was saying. She didn't know what a bond felt like for sure, but she felt everything Roman was explaining.

"Y-you… you wouldn't lie about this just to… get closer to me, would you?" She asked nervously.

"You feel it too, don't you?" He asked, cupping her cheek gently. She nodded in response, finding it hard to speak with Roman this close.

"Then dig deep… does it feel like I would ever lie to you?"

Kara couldn't stop her eyes from falling to his lips, watching as he spoke. "No." She breathed.

She hadn't noticed herself leaning in, nor had she noticed Roman leaning in to her, but she realized they were about to kiss, barely an inch between them. She let her eyes flutter shut as she felt Roman close the remaining gap between them.

Their lips brushed softly at first but it caused an intense spark, making Kara gasp. All the extra noise that had been in her head since she woke up in the trainer's room faded out as Roman's hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. She whimpered softly into his mouth, scooting closer on the couch.

Roman turned further towards her, his taller frame towering over her. He untangled their fingers, wrapping his arm around her waist. He pulled her closer, Kara willingly moving with him until she was sitting in his lap, flush with his chest. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders, reveling at the feeling of his warm, bare skin against hers. Roman let slip his own groan of satisfaction, making her tingle all the way down to her toes.

He nipped at her bottom lip, making her shiver and open her mouth to him. His tongue prodded experimentally at hers, both of them moaning at the contact. She ran her hands up into his hair, pulling at the tie keeping it tamed. Once it was freed, she tangled her fingers through his damp locks, Roman practically purring at the attention.

"Kara…." Roman hummed against her lips, making her want to get even closer to him if it was at all possible. The way her name sounded in his deep timber, muffled by her own lips, was a high like nothing she'd never felt before.

"I don't normally…" She mumbled against his lips as she felt his fingers slip under the hem of her t-shirt.

"Me either." Roman agreed, fingertips dancing along the skin of her lower back, the tickling making her back arch against him. "Baby girl, wait." Roman muttered against her lips, but showed no signs of stopping himself or disengaging from her embrace.

"Hmm?" She hummed back, nipping his lip.

Roman growled low in his chest, squeezing her tight before he pulled away. Kara whined and tried to follow his lips with her own, but he held his ground, resting his forehead against hers. The two panted, Kara feeling the full effects of the beard burn now that she wasn't all consumed with the need to get as close to him as possible. Her entire body felt like it was burning up, a strong current trailing everywhere he'd touched her.

"I don't want us to get carried away…" Roman told her, caressing her cheek. His voice was tight, and she could feel through the bond how hard he was working to remain in control of himself. "It's been a long, emotional day. I don't want you to regret this in the morning."

"We won't." She promised with a pout, leaning in to kiss him again when he stopped her.

"You've been wiggling 'round in my lap," he pointed out. "We're getting to the point of no return a lot faster than you think."

"Oh." She frowned, moving to get off his lap but Roman kept her tight in his embrace.

"You don't have to move. Just try to stop your damn wiggling." He grinned, kissing her forehead.

Kara nodded, leaning her head onto his shoulder as she caught her breath. The silence was comfortable now, the only tension remaining in the room was sexual as they both tried to calm themselves down. Kara couldn't even remember how she ended up straddling him, but she wasn't upset about it.

Roman pressed a kiss to the top of her head before whispering into her hair. "Any doubts left?"

Kara shook her head, not even having to think about it. The spark she'd felt when their lips touched, the all-consuming need to be as close to him as possible, the way all the world just shut out as they kissed - it was everything the books and movies made it out to be.

"No." She told him. "Still confused thought."

"Me too." He agreed, nuzzling the side of her face and making her giggle.

Kara couldn't believe how natural it felt to sit in Roman's arms, cuddled into his chest as the two began talking. She started bringing up questions about their soulbond, trying to figure out what had broken it and how it was even possible, but Roman shushed her.

"Nothing we can do tonight. We'll figure it out in the morning." He promised, steering the conversation to lighter topics so they could get to know one another better. He asked about her family and answered her questions in return.

Roman's fingers traced idle patterns on her back as they spoke, occasionally paying with the hem of her shirt before sliding up the skin of her lower back but never crossing the line. It was comforting and relaxing. Kara couldn't help herself as she drifted to sleep in his arms as she listened to the smooth rumble of his voice.

* * *

Kara woke the next morning surrounded by warmth and firm muscles, roused by someone playing with her hair. She sighed contently, rolling over to bury her face into the broad chest. She felt Roman's chuckle vibrate through her, making her smile sleepily against his skin.

"Good morning, baby girl." He spoke softly, lips pressed to her temple and his voice rough with sleep.

"Thought I was takin' the love seat." She mumbled sleepily.

"You wouldn't let go of me." Roman told her. She could hear the smile in his voice and feel nothing but comfort and content through the bond.

"Sorry." Kara apologized bashfully.

"Why would I complain? I got to sleep with a beautiful woman in my arms, and she just happens to be my soulmate."

"I still can't believe I have a soulmate." She admitted.

"Well believe it." Roman purred, bringing his hand to her chin. He gently tilted her head up, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Kara melted into the kiss, letting Roman take control as she ran her hand over his chest.

"I could get used to this kind of wake-up call." Kara whispered against his lips.

"Mmm, you'd better." Roman teased and she could feel his grin. She giggled softly in response, which made Roman chuckle quietly in response.

Roman's hand danced slowly down her back, ending it's journey at her waist. She pouted when he stopped, arching her back to try and tell him she didn't want him to stop. Luckily he got the message, sliding his hand down even more until it was resting on the swell of her ass. Kara hummed happily as he gave it a squeeze. Kara slid her own hand to Roman's hip, playing with the band of his sweats, letting her fingers just barely creep past the elastic.

"Kara…" Roman warned.

"Roman…" She mimicked playfully.

"Behave."

"Don't wanna." She whined, snapping the elastic against his skin.

A deep growl from Roman was the only warning she had before he rolled on top of her, making her shriek in surprise as his arms caged her beneath him.

"You sure about that?" Roman's smirk sent Kara's stomach into flips.

"So sure." Kara breathed, pulling him down into a heated kiss.

"Gonna be the death of me." He told her as he pulled away from her lips, kissing a trail down her jawline and neck instead.

"Shhh…" She shushed him, tilting her head to give him easier access to his neck. She whimpered softly as he trailed over a sensitive patch of skin. She felt Roman smirk against her skin as he zeroed in on the spot, nipping and sucking at it.

Kara moaned, tangling a hand in his hair as the other travelled over his broad back. Roman's hand slid down her torso, just barely brushing her breast. She gasped at the fleeting touch as his hand continued down to sneak under the fabric of her shirt.

"Ro." She panted, squirming under him at the sensations he was causing. He responded with a bite to her neck, making her cry out in pleasure. He pulled away from her neck long enough to pull her shirt over her head, dropping it beside them on the bed. His hand crept up her torso until he was cupping her breast, this time with no fabric in the way.

A loud, persistent knocking pulled Kara out of the moment. She glanced towards the door, hoping they would leave if they didn't answer.

"Kara! Roman! Open up!" She heard Baron call from the other side. Kara huffed in disappointment, knowing he wasn't going to let up easily. He'd find a way into the room if they didn't let him in.

"Ro." Kara pulled the man's attention away from her neck.

Roman groaned in frustration as he rolled off of her, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know…"

"He won't stop." Kara reasoned as Baron kicked up another round of rapping at the door.

"Yeah… Just let me…" Roman trailed off, but Kara knew what he was trying to say. It was the first time they hadn't been touching since she'd woken up, and the bond was back in full force. She could nearly read his mind - and what little remained a mystery through the bond was quite obviously tenting the sheets.

"Why don't you get a cold shower, I'll get the door..." Kara told him, patting him on the chest as she sat up.

"Thanks." Roman smiled gratefully as he rolled out of the bed. He made no move to hide the erection straining his sweatpants and Kara couldn't stop herself from staring.

"Soon enough, baby girl." Roman promised with a wink. "Now put your shirt on and let in the rabid wolf."

Kara blushed as she picked up her shirt from where it had landed, pulling it over her head as she made her way to the door. "Calm down, I'm coming." She shouted to get Baron to stop the knocking.

"You would be if he hadn't showed up." Roman grumbled under his breath as he closed the bathroom door, making Kara laugh.

"Finally!" Baron groaned as the door swung open. Baron looked rough, like he hadn't slept very well.

"What?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"I'm sorry." He said, shocking her. "I said some stupid fucking shit yesterday."

"No kidding." She scoffed.

"I was jealous. And worried."

"You're jealous? Because I'm not fucking you anymore?" She spat, remembering how territorial he was acting at the arena.

"No!" He insisted. "Can I come in so we can talk?"

Kara stared him up and down for a second, trying to decide if it would just end in a near confrontation like it had the night before. He looked pretty rough, so with a sigh she stepped aside to let him in. He hadn't barged in like the night before, so that was a good start.

"Thank you." He muttered as he passed.

Kara closed the door and turned to him, waiting for him to talk.

"We had a connection. I don't just mean sleeping together, but… you were there for me when I lost _her_. I was there for you too. At least, I thought I was."

"You were." Kara confirmed, her resolve softening as Baron explained.

"And now, you found your soulmate. The thing that started our whole friendship, just fuckin' gone. You have a soulmate now, Kara. You don't need me anymore."

"Baron, that's not true." She urged.

"You stayed with him instead of me." Baron pointed out.

"Because you were being an ass." Kara countered.

"Yeah, I was." Baron didn't argue, hanging his head.

"You're still my best friend, and I could really use my best friend right about now." Kara stepped forward, resting a hand on his arm. "As long as he stops acting live some caveman, banging his chest to prove he's toughest."

"I'm sorry." Baron apologized again, shaking his head.

"Don't be sorry, be smarter from now on. I'm not going to forget you, I just have a lot to figure out right now." Kara explained herself. She turned to look at the bathroom door, making sure she could still hear the shower running.

"I'm kinda terrified about what's happening." She admitted quietly. "I'm not supposed to have a soulmate. Plus the way I feel, the way I'm drawn to him. It's like I'm not myself. It's freaking me out."

"Isn't that normal when a soulmates first meet?" Baron chuckled.

"I don't know! I didn't pay attention to all that shit in school. I wasn't supposed to ever meet my soulmate." Kara hissed, making Baron laugh. "Can we… go back to being okay?" Kara asked nervously.

"Of course." Baron nodded, opening his arms to her. She hugged him tightly, sighing in relief. "It's gonna take a while to get used to it, but… I'll try, okay?"

"That's all I'm asking." She pulled away to look up at him. "It's gonna take me a while to get used to it too."

The bathroom door opened and Kara felt like she was bulldozed by the jealousy she felt through the bond as Roman spotted her and Baron hugging.

"Everything okay?" Roman questioned suspiciously.

"Can you two just get over it? Oh my god." Kara groaned, pulling away from Baron and grabbing at her head. "You're gonna give me headache with all this testosterone."

"Sorry, baby girl." Roman chuckled as he made his way to her, resting his hand on her back. The contact made the bond dial back.

"Don't worry Reigns, I'm not trying to move in on her, just trying to fix what I already fucked up." Baron confessed.

"We're good." She told Roman, smiling up at him. Roman returned the smile before he turned back to glare at Baron.

"Talk to her like that again, and we're gonna have a problem. Understand?" Roman warned.

"I was an ass, so yeah. I understand. Wouldn't expect anything else." He nodded.

"Glad we cleared that up." Roman nodded once at Baron before letting the glare fade away.

"Are we done with the pissing contest?" Kara sighed.

"For now." Roman joked.

"You've already marked your territory, big dog. Relax." Baron joked back, making Kara frown.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"I kinda got carried away." Roman told her, gently sliding a finger down her neck and making her shiver. He looked too proud to be even remotely remorseful as she realized what he meant, remembering the attention he was paying to the skin of her neck before Baron had interrupted.

"And you're just telling me now? You're both the worst!" She pouted, covering her neck with her hands as she ran into the bathroom to survey the damage.

* * *

The three agreed to travel together to the next town. It gave Roman a chance to explain in depth everything he knew about the day his soulmate died to both of them - Kara knew she'd just have to retell it back to Baron later anyway - and it made up for the night she spent not talking to Baron. Baron returned his rental and they piled into Roman's.

Even though he'd given her the quick version the night before, Kara was surprised to hear Roman tell the story. She held his hand as he described the pain, he clearly remembered it so vividly despite it happening over 2 decades ago. He even remembered the date it happened.

"How do you remember the exact day?" Kara wondered.

"When the person you're supposed to be with for the rest of your life dies, that's something to remember." Roman answered solemnly.

"It's true." Baron nodded, his tone also grave.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to both of them, reaching for Baron's hand too.

"Not your fault." Roman offered a small smile, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

She didn't say as much out loud, but she worried that it could be her fault. Roman hadn't done anything unusual before he felt the pain. He was just playing in the yard. What if she'd done something to cause it? She didn't know if she could handle being the reason to have caused him so much pain, both physically and the emotional toll of losing his soulmate.

Once Roman had gone through everything he remembered or that his parents have told him of that day, Kara tried to call her parents. She hoped knowing the exact date might help pinpoint something that could have set it all off.

No one answered the home phone but she tried her dad's cell phone instead of leaving a message. She wasn't surprised when the phone didn't even ring, taking her right to the voicemail. Her dad had a habit of losing his phone, or leaving it behind somewhere like work or in the car, and the battery dying. She tried a few more times during the road trip, leaving a voicemail this time asking them to call her back.

"They'll call." Baron told her.

"I know… I'm just anxious to find out what's going on."

"Me too." Roman added. "But if your parents aren't home, they're not home. They'll call when they get the message, right?"

"Yeah. My mom has a bad habit for not checking the messages though." Kara worried.

"But she checks the call log." Baron reminded her, used to her mother's quirks. "She'll see the fifty missed calls and call you back."

"You're right." Kara nodded, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"We'll figure it out eventually." Roman promised.

* * *

Kara kept calling her mother, although Roman and Baron had convinced her to dial it back to about once an hour. By the time they were at the arena, she still hadn't gotten through. It put her in a sour mood, which Roman wouldn't have needed the bond to see. Baron had to get his hair touched up at the glam station, leaving the two alone for the time being.

Roman snuck them into a skybox of the arena, giving them some privacy. She was curled into his side, trying to feel better by snuggling into him, as they chatted quietly. He was pointing out what the production team was doing, explaining it to her to take her mind off of it. She'd never gotten to see the ring being put together before, let alone the stage and big screen. She was interested, but could only pay it mild attention.

"I've got a meeting with creative I gotta go to." He whispered against her hairline. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded, sitting up. "I'll go find Baron or something. Maybe see what Sami is up to. I still haven't seen Kevin yet."

"Alright." Roman cupped her chin, pulling her in for a quick peck. "I'll take you backstage."

She had been hanging out with Baron for about 20 minutes when her phone finally rang. She jumped for it, shooting Baron a nervous look.

"It's mom." She told Baron as she answered the phone with a rushed "hello?"

"Hey sweetie, is everything okay?" Her mom greeted, her tone worried.

"Yeah, uh… I just really needed to talk to you about something." Kara's leg started bouncing anxiously.

"Okay, what's up?" Her mother asked, concern still evident in her voice.

"It might be nothing, but uh… do you remember if anything weird happened to me when I was a kid?" Kara asked, standing up to pace with her nervous energy.

"Like what?" Her mother chuckled.

"Well, like… to be specific…. July 3, 1992?"

Her mother was silent, Kara assumed she was trying to think back so far until her she answered, voice shaky. "Why are you asking?"

"I, uh… I think I found my soulmate, mom." She told her, unable to stop herself from smiling like an idiot. The admission reminded her of all the tingling and warm feelings she got from Roman.

There was another long pause before her mother answered. "What?"

"I found him, mom. I have a soulmate." She laughed, filly giddy.

"This isn't funny, Kara." Her mother scolded, clicking her tongue.

"I'm serious, mom. I have a soulmate. I can feel the bond and everything." Kara gushed. She didn't miss the pained albeit fleeting look on Baron's face as she tried to convince her mother.

"You're telling the truth, aren't you?" Her mother asked carefully. She could hear the hope in her mother's voice. "If you're pulling some prank, Kara Anne-"

"It's real, Mom. I swear." Kara promised. "But, something happened July 3. Something that fucked up the bond. That's why we thought I was alone."

"You're positive? July 3?" Her mother sighed deeply.

"Yeah. 1992." Kara confirmed.

"I'm so sorry, Kara." Her mother's voice cracked, the sound stilling her. She felt like she'd been doused in cold water.

"Why are you…" Kara trailed off. "Did something happen that day, mom?"

"You didn't remember any of it. The doctors said it was best to not remind you. You'd blocked out the trauma so you could heal." Her mother rambled, sounding like a madwoman.

"Mom, what's going on? What happened?" Kara asked, firmer this time as she started to worry.

"That was the day of the accident, Kara." Her mother told her. Kara could tell her mother was on the verge of tears by the way her voice shook.

"The accident?" She frowned, brows furrowing. "You mean that crash?"

"Yes." Her mother confirmed before Kara could hear her sob.

"Mom, what happened?" She asked, voice firm. She was confused, she was scared, she was mad… She felt frozen until she felt Baron's hand on her shoulder, ushering her to sit down. She let him lead her, her own hand resting on one of her scars.

"You died, Kara." Her mother was finally able to speak, although she was still crying. "Twice. Your heart stopped beating, once after the crash and once during surgery."

"I…" Kara couldn't bring herself to say it.

"It was the scariest day of my entire life, Kara. I thought I was going to lose you."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" She demanded. She couldn't believe she'd technically _died_ and no one had even bothered to tell her.

"You didn't remember the accident. The doctor said it was probably better that way." Her mother admitted.

"I asked!" Kara shouted, jumping up again. She was unable to sit still with the multitude of different emotions she was feeling. "I asked when I was older, you could have said something then!"

"I'm sorry, Kara. We did what we thought was right." Her mother sobbed.

"And you never thought this could have something to do with… I can't believe this."

"I'm so sorry." Her mother repeated. "Kara, we never meant to hurt you."

"I have to go." Kara told her mother, barely hearing her calling for Kara to wait before she hung up. Where she hadn't been able to sit still earlier, now she felt like she couldn't move or she'd collapse.

"So?" Baron asked cautiously.

"It's my fault." She whispered, tears welling up as she admitted it.

"What?" He asked, moving closer to hear her better.

"It's my fault Roman felt me die." She whimpered. "It's because I did."

"You "did" what?"

"I died." She told him, looking up at him as the tears spilled over. "He felt me die because I died. I'm the reason our bond was fucked. It's all my fault."

"Kara," he pulled her into a hug, her knees buckling.

"It's all my fault." She cried into his chest, repeating it like a mantra.

"No, it's not. Shh." Baron tried to comfort her, rubbing her back as she clung to him.

She couldn't stop crying as she thought about all the years of feeling alone and depressed had been her fault all along. The tingling of Roman's distress through their bond made it worse. She had been the reason he'd felt alone too. He'd actually gone through the pain of feeling the bond die.

Baron led her to the bench he'd been sitting on, pulling her into his lap. She continued to sob into his chest, every flare of the soul bond making it worse. Roman was worried about her, she could feel it, but she didn't deserve it.

Baron's phone rang next to them and Kara whimpered, knowing it was more than likely Roman. The second he accepted the call, Kara could hear his booming tone panicking on the other end of the line.

"Hey, it's okay. I've got her." Baron told him before giving him directions to where they were. Kara shook her head weakly, not wanting to face Roman after what she'd learned, even though she could feel herself desperately wanting him to come soothe her.

"What's wrong?" Roman's deep voice sounded frazzled as he found them. He dropped to his knees next to the bench, gently resting his hand on Kara's shoulder. "Baby girl, talk to me." He prompted when he got no response.

"Her mom called." Baron told him, as a starting point.

"What'd she say?" Roman asked Kara, not looking up at the other man.

"Take her." Baron suggested, letting Roman wrap his arms around Kara, easily transferring her to his lap as he sat on the bench. "You two need to talk."

Baron gave Roman a nod before leaving them alone. Kara's crying had transitioned into whimpers and shaky inhales, Roman's presence helping to calm her.

"Please." Roman whispered. "Talk to me."

"It's my fault." She admitted, burying her face into his chest so she wouldn't have to see his reaction.

"What is?"

"The bond."

"How is it your fault?" Roman asked, stroking her hair.

"I died." She spoke quietly, she almost didn't want him to hear.

"I can hear you if you're talking to my pecs." He teased, trying to lighten the mood. He lifted her chin, making her look up at him.

"July 3, 1992. I died." She told him, voice shaking. The shock that dowsed her system and the matching look on Roman's face told her that he'd heard loud and clear.

"What?" Roman breathed.

"There was a car accident. My heart stopped. They had to perform surgery, but I died." Kara rambled, squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to see the pain on his face.

"But you're…"

"They brought me back, but I guess it was too late for our bond. God, I'm so sorry Roman." She whimpered, burying her face into his neck.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry, Kara? It wasn't your fault." Roman told her, rubbing her back.

"Yes it is. I died. You felt it. We both thought we were alone this whole time." She argued, feeling Roman shake his head as she spoke. "All of that is my fault."

"No, you had nothing to do with it.' Roman disagreed. "You didn't cause the accident."

"No, but-"

"It's not your fault." He urged.

"Ye-"

"It's not your fault." He repeated, cutting her off. She tried to speak again, and he cut her off once more. Kara lifted her head, looking at him.

"Why are you so convinced?" She asked.

"Why are _you_?" He countered.

Kara sputtered, looking for the words to explain it in a way she hadn't already. Before she could, Roman kissed her softly. When he pulled back, he gently wiped the tear tracks off her face with his thumbs. "I don't care what happened, but now we know for sure. It's no coincidence that the accident happened the same time I felt the bond die. You're my soulmate."

Kara nodded, knowing he was right. Roman pulled her into another kiss, this one slow and deep, making her toes curl. She wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into him. She happily gave way to his tongue as it lick along the seam of her lips, feeling her worries fading away.

She readjusted on his lap so she was straddling him, their chests pressed together. A moan slipped through her lips as his hands ran down her sides slowly, stopping to rest on her hips. He gripped her tightly and pulled, making her grind against his thigh. Kara understood and rolled her hips against him willingly making Roman groan. Now that she was doing what he wanted, he slid his hands back to palm her ass.

"Mmm, that's it baby girl." He murmured against her lips. "S'that feel good? Riding my thigh, using me to get off?"

She whimpered shakily to the affirmative, his thick, muscular thigh grinding against her core. She could feel how wet she was getting, the way it was soaking into her panties as she pushed herself into him harder. He nipped at her lip teasingly with an appreciative growl.

"Woah-ah-ah, what's going on over here?" A gravelly voice made Kara jump, reminding her that they weren't in a particularly private place. She looked over her shoulder to see Seth Rollins grinning. She hadn't met Seth yet, only seen him on TV, which made it worse. She knew he worked closely with Roman and she felt immediately mortified to have been caught in such a compromising position. She buried her face into Roman's neck to hide her reddening cheeks.

"Seth." Roman growled, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.

"Hey man, don't get mad at me." Seth defended himself, laughing the whole while. "Just trying to stop you two from having sex in front of, oh I dunno, anyone who happens to walk by."

Roman sighed, letting his head fall back against the couch. "You're right. Thanks, uce."

"No problem. I remember what it was like at first." Seth sympathized. "I'm Seth by the way. Nice to meet you."

Kara peeked out from Roman's neck, giving Seth a bashful smile and a wave. "Hi Seth."

"No need to be embarrassed. I caught ya before anything got too far." Seth chuckled. "Like I said, been there done that. When you feel like you're gonna die if you're not as close as possible?"

"So, this is normal then?" Kara asked, curiously.

"Of course it is. Damn, did the education system fail you that badly?" Seth huffed.

"Watch it." Roman warned.

"Sorry, didn't mean anything by it." Seth held up his hands defensively. "Yeah, once you two get accustomed to each other, it won't be so bad."

"Seth!" A distinct Irish accent echoed down the hall.

"Unless of course your soulmate is as needy as mine is." He sighed, still grinning. "See you two later, and keep it in your pants for fuck sake. Think of the children!" Seth disappeared around the corner, they could hear his cackling as he went.

"Well that wasn't how I wanted to meet one of your close friends for the first time." Kara grumbled, reluctantly sliding off of Roman's lap.

"I've caught him and Finn in worse positions." Roman chuckled, taking Kara's hand in his own. "When they first met… they were way worse than we are."

"Promise?" She asked, starting to relax past her embarrassment.

"The images burned into my retinas are proof." He grinned, happy his attempt to comfort her was working.

"They didn't have a severed bond like us though." Kara pointed out. "What if this never evens out?"

"You won't hear me complain." Roman teased with a salacious grin, making Kara chuckle. He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "I asked for some time off, and I'm hoping I can spend it with you. If you're up for it, we can find a doctor, someone who deals with soulbonds and go see them. See if they can do anything to help or if there's others like us."

"Really?" Kara asked hopefully. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course." Roman grinned, squeezing her hand. "There's not much I wouldn't do for you."

"You barely know me, Ro." She blushed.

"I know you in my soul. In my heart." He crooned. "The rest will come."

* * *

Roman's request for time off was granted before the night was out. He was taken off the house show schedule for the rest of the week and wouldn't be needed until Monday night. They even told him that they could meet again if he felt he still needed more time. Kara was surprised, having heard horror stories about how hard it was to get time off in WWE, but she supposed being a main eventer had perks.

"You sure you're not mad at me for ditching you?" Kara asked Baron for at least the tenth time. Roman had asked Kara to fly with him to his house in Pensacola and she eagerly accepted before remembering she was supposed to be spending time with Baron.

"Annoyed, but not mad." Baron teased, making Kara frown. "I'm kidding! Go."

"I do miss you, and I really was looking forward to spending time with you." Kara explained, hugging him around his middle. Baron hugged her back. "I don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me, shortstack." Baron sighed. "I'm guessing Roman isn't gonna want us to keep sleeping together, but other than that nothing has to change."

"You mean it?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yes. And you do. Often." Kara deadpanned.

"Well I'm not lying about this. You're still my best friend." He promised.

"Okay. As long as you're not mad." Kara nodded, pulling away from the hug.

"Just promise me you'll try to look into what happened with the bond while you're there, okay?"

"We will." Kara told him and gave him one last quick hug, knowing Roman was waiting for her to say goodbye so they could head to the airport.

"Be safe." He mumbled into her hair. "I'll talk to you later."

* * *

Roman owned a nice house in Pensacola. It was a decent size, but quite big when you took into account he was living there alone. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms including a gorgeous ensuite with a huge tub. There was a furnished den in the basement he was using as a home gym, an eat-in kitchen. Roman gave her the tour, which conveniently ended in the master bedroom.

Roman's bedroom had two huge windows, which the sun was shining through to light up the room. Kara realized one of the windows was actually a door, which led to a small balcony. The dark grey accent wall at the head of the bed popped against the other 3 off-white walls. The furniture was all wood, dark wash. The king sized bed in the room was neatly made, the set a dark blue. It was simple but elegant.

"I had a designer do it." Roman told her as she took in the room.

"I like it." She told him. "It's… classy."

"Classy?" Roman chuckled, dropping their suitcases next to the walk-in closet.

"Yeah. Stylish." She nodded.

"Well," Roman drawled, crossing the room to stand behind her, his hands on her hips. "If you like it so much, why don't you stay a while?" He murmured into her ear.

"What are you insinuating, Mr. Reigns?" She teased, relaxing into him as he swept her hair away from her neck, pressing a kiss there.

"I'm insinuating that I finally have you alone." He growled making Kara shiver.

"We've been alone before." She pointed out. She was trying to play hard to get, but the way her body was reacting to Roman was counteracting anything she would say. Any thoughts she had about unpacking flew out the window as his lips moved down her neck.

"In hotels, where anyone could bug us. Or _hear_ us." He grinned, she felt it against her skin. "Finally have you all to myself." He punctuated his statement by nipping the juncture of her neck and shoulder, making her gasp and lean fully into him. She spun around in his hold, pulling him down into a passionate kiss. She knew now that the bond would eventually even out, that she wouldn't feel like she needed him to breathe properly, but she hoped the tingles all the way down to her toes when they kissed would never go away.

Roman crouched, wrapping his big hands around the backs of her thighs and easily lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around him instinctively to stop from falling, her arms looping around his broad shoulders. The kiss never broke as he walked them to his bed, setting her on the edge.

She fell back to lay on the bed, pulling him down with her. She ran one hand up to the bun he had in his hair, pulling it free so she could tangle a hand in his locks while he kissed her breathless. She was learning that she loved playing with his hair, and Roman seemed to like it just as much.

The two reluctantly broke the kiss so Roman could pull Kara's shirt over her head, tossing it away blindly. Kara pulled at Roman's shirt as he stared down at her, taking in her nearly naked chest. Once his shirt was thrown away to join hers, he leaned down, peppering her chest with kisses, licks and nibbles wherever she wasn't covered by her bra.

Kara gasped and arched into him, reveling at the sensations as he toes curled. Roman took the chance of her arched form to slip his hands behind her, only fumbling for a moment before the clasps of her bra were unhooked. Kara slid the straps down her arms, tossing the undergarment over her shoulder.

"You're gorgeous." Roman muttered against her skin as he began to massage her bare breasts with a soft groan.

She took advantage of his clear distraction and shifted her weight, pushing him to roll over. Roman's imposing form could have easily stopped her, but he let her take control, ending on top of him.

She leaned down, finally getting what she'd been daydreaming about as she licked and kissed over his tattoo, tracing the line work. He hummed below her, running his hands over her bare skin as he let her take over.

She reached for his belt, pulling the buckle undone with little struggle before moving to his zipper. Her fingers grazed his bulge, making her tingle with excitement. His hips flexed under her at the brief contact, making her smirk as she slid her hand into his pants.

She cupped him through his briefs, feeling the weight of him in her hand as he squirmed. Realizing she held this kind of power over him, the ability to make this hulk of a man squirm just with her hand, gave her a high she didn't even know she needed.

He pulled her down into a heated kiss, keeping his hand tangled tightly into her hair. It made her scalp tingle deliciously at the slight pull. She continued to tease him, groping his length as they kissed until she felt his precum soaking into the fabric.

"C'mon Kara." He groaned as he brought his free hand up to pinch her nipple. She squeaked and jolted over him at the sudden sensation.

She pulled her hand free, Roman huffing as she stood off the edge of the bed to hook her thumbs into the waistband of her jeans. She was about to shimmy them off when Roman sat up suddenly, stopping her by clamping his hands down on her own.

"What's wrong?" She frowned.

"Shh." He shushed her for a second, his attention snapping to the open bedroom door. "Do you hear something?"

"No." She shook her head, not even attempting to listen. She tried to move her hands under his own but he held her steady. After a moment, she did actually hear noise filtering in through the door and froze just like him.

"I thought you lived alone." She whispered frantically, pulling her hands free to cover her chest. The door to the bedroom was open and whoever it was that was in the house could find them any moment if they tried.

"I do." Roman grunted, zipping his pants back up. They settled low on his hips as he moved to the door of the bedroom to listen. Kara scrambled for her shirt, which luckily hadn't landed too far off. As she pulled it down her torso, Roman hung his head and sighed loudly.

"My parents are here." He grumbled, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"What?!" Kara questioned, not sure she had heard him right.

"They have the spare key to the place." Roman explained, joining Kara in pulling his shirt back on.

"Why are they here?" Kara asked, looking down at herself. "I can't meet them without a bra on!" She panicked, pulling her shirt back off and quickly redressing.

"I dunno. I'm sorry." Roman sighed, adjusting himself so his slowly fading erection was less obvious.

"How do I look?" Kara worried, running her fingers through her hair as she walked to the mirror on Roman's dresser.

"Beautiful, as always." Roman reassured her, but she glared at him through the mirror.

"I look like I was caught making out under the school bleachers." She huffed, adjusting her shirt.

"Know that from experience?" Roman wondered with a grin.

"No." Kara rolled her eyes. "Saw it plenty, though."

"C'mon, you look great." Roman told her, holding his hand out for her. She sighed and took it, figuring it was as good as she could get without proper prep time. Instead of leading her out of the room, Roman pulled her flush against him, making her gasp. She looked up at him in surprise, steadying herself with her free hand on his chest.

"As soon as they're gone… I'll barricade the front door if I have to." He growled. "God, I'm tempted to ignore them and just-"

"No, Roman!" She stopped him, as much as it pained her to do so. "I don't want that to be their first impression of me. I don't want our first time to be interrupted, either." She told him, stroking his chest. "We can wait a little longer."

"I know we can. I don't want to." He pouted dramatically making her laugh. He smiled down at her before releasing his hold, leading her down the stairs. As they got closer, Kara could hear the two voices chatting in the kitchen.

"You bought too much… It's never going to fit." The lower voice complained.

"Yes it will, I just need to be creative." The woman's voice countered.

"You should have just left it."

"And let those poor kids starve when they get here?" Roman's mother scoffed. "He's got rice. That's all. I'm not letting them live off rice."

The couple were too busy bickering to hear them approaching.

"We can fend for ourselves, you know." Roman cut into the conversation with a smirk. His mother jumped almost comically, dropping the package of meat she had been holding. Roman's father looked up in surprise, but didn't react as outwardly as his mother did.

"Roman Joseph!" His mother cried. "Nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Ma." He apologized, dropping Kara's hand to hug his mother. Without his hand in hers, Kara felt out of place and nervous to meet Roman's parents. What if they didn't like her? What if they didn't think she was good enough for their so? What if they blamed her for the broken bond?

His mother smacked him on the shoulder as they pulled out of the hug, making Roman flinch. "Rude! Scaring me and then not even introducing us." His mother chastised, turning to Kara. "Hello, dear. You must be Kara. I'm Roman's mother Patricia."

Before Kara had a chance to respond, Patricia was pulling her into a hug as well. It took her a second, but once she was over the shock, she hugged Patricia back. "It's great to meet you, ma'am."

"Oh none of that." Patricia waved her off. "Don't ma'am me, we're family now. That's my husband, Sika." She pointed towards Roman's father who took that as his cue to approach.

"She's even prettier than you said." Sika winked at Kara before pulling her into a hug. She laughed and blushed as Roman groaned.

"Dad, don't hit on my soulmate. Please." He groaned from the fridge where he had taken over putting away the load of groceries his parents had brought.

Sika laughed and pulled out of the hug. "Sorry we're invading your space. Your mom wanted to stock the fridge before you got home."

"Ma, you didn't have to-" Roman began, only for Patricia to wave him off.

"Roman, please. It may not have been yesterday, but I remember what it was like when the bond was fresh." Patricia told the both of them with a knowing grin that made Kara blush. "I just didn't want the two of you starving or having to get take-out for every meal. That's just ridiculous."

"Thank you." Kara mumbled, grateful if not a little embarrassed.

"Yes, thank you." Roman parroted, halting his efforts to kiss his mother on the cheek.

"Speaking of, I'm sure we're holding them up, Patty." Sika pointed out.

"And we'll get out of their hair as soon as I know all this food is put away." She told him, starting to pack some boxes into Roman's cupboards. "They'll be on each other like magnets when we leave and I don't want this food to spoil."

Kara suddenly found a flaw in Roman's big, beautiful house: no escape hatch to sneak out of this conversation.

"It's almost done, Ma." Roman told her, not seeming to be as embarrassed as Kara was. Roman's mom must be a very frank woman, Roman didn't seem even remotely rattled by her.

"I meant to have this done before the two of you got home." Patricia told Kara. "We'll be out of your way soon... That said, you two better come over for supper before Roman has to get back on the road. We'd love to get to know you a little better."

"Of course." Kara nodded with a smile, feeling a little more comfortable with this more typical "meet the parents" talk.

"Wonderful. No rush though. Spend the next few days just the two of you." She added with another knowing smile, which brought Kara right back to mortified.

The two left as soon as the last box was in the pantry and Roman had promised once more to call them to make dinner plans in a few days. Roman's mother kissed them both on the cheek as they left.

Kara jumped, feeling Roman's free hand on her ass as they waved goodbye to his parents from the door. He stopped waving to swing it closed a moment later, barely having the chance to lock it before Kara jumped on him. He caught her smaller frame easily, holding her up by her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him. Their lips fused together, Roman walking towards the stairs that would take them back to the bedroom.

"No more distractions." Kara hoped aloud.

"I kill the next man who walks through that door." Roman growled. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, pinning Kara between the wall and his body. She moaned, feeling his hard muscles pressed against her. She felt his hands on her sides and didn't realize what he was doing until she hear the sound of ripping fabric. She gasped as the shirt was torn off of her, the shreds flung over his shoulder.

"Holy shit…" She breathed, surprised to find how turned on she was by the show of raw strength. She pulled him in closer with her legs, craving the friction of their bodies rubbing together. She could feel his growing erection through their pants as he moaned in turn.

"Bedroom. Please." She pled, not wanting their first time to be against the wall in his entrance way.

Roman grunted in response, lifting her away from the wall and carrying her up the stairs. She pulled back from his lips, kissing down his neck as he walked. His tattoo was peeking out past the collar of his shirt and she longed to kiss it. She pulled his collar as far as she could, envious that he was able to rip her shirt off without even trying. She nipped at the skin before soothing it with her tongue, following the curved lines of the tribal design.

She heard the bedroom door slam behind them as Roman kicked it closed. It only took a few long strides to cross the room and set her on the bed. She scooted backwards into the middle of the bed as Roman peeled his own shirt off. She didn't know if it was the attention she was paying his tattoo or if he felt through the soulbond how desperately she wanted it off, but she was grateful. However, not one to be outdone - and the tickling sensation at the edge of her brain telling her it was what he wanted - she reached behind her and undid her bra. She barely had the time to toss it to the side when Roman was on top of her, kissing her hungrily while their bare chests pressed together.

Kara rolled her hips up against him, Roman eagerly reciprocating. Kara broke the kiss first, panting for breath. Roman wasn't in any better condition above her, his pupils blown wide with lust. She bit her lip, snaking her hands between them to unhook his belt. She struggled with the little room between their bodies to maneuver until Roman pulled back, kneeling and pulling his belt loose.

"God, you're beautiful." He breathed as he watched her squirm impatiently. He pulled his belt out of his pants in one quick motion, tossing it to the side. The power and fluidity of the move made her stomach flutter.

"You're… amazing." She responded, not being able to find the right word to describe how he looked. This Samoan god kneeling in front of her, hair messy, lips swollen, pants sitting low on his hips. She reached down to pop her own button open and push her zipper down.

Roman stepped off of the bed to kick off his pants and Kara took the opportunity to shimmy her jeans and panties down her hips, keeping her eyes on him.

His hard cock was jutting up towards his stomach, flush with his pelvis. She whimpered when she saw it, aching to feel it inside her. He was thicker than she was used to but couldn't wait to feel it.

"Fuck…" Roman breathed as he looked down at her, reaching down to give his cock a few lazy strokes. The movement made Kara whine again.

"Don't tease." She pouted, rolling to the edge of the bed. She batted his own hand away, replacing it with hers. He groaned and she felt a huge spike of pleasure through their bond.

"Oh my god." She gasped, stroking him slowly.

"Y'okay?" He asked her, voice shaking. She nodded, having felt nothing like this before. She was feeling his pleasure through her bond and it was intoxicating. He wasn't even touching her and it felt amazing. It felt better than anything she'd ever experienced before.

She leaned down, licking at his tip experimentally. Roman moaned, low and deep in his chest while Kara gasped.

"What's wrong?" Roman asked, suddenly concerned.

"I c-can feel it. Through the bond." She whimpered as she continued to stroke him. "It's so good, Roman."

Roman looked surprised at that information but didn't have time to react before Kara wrapped her lips around him, making both of them moan loudly.

"Fuck, baby girl." He groaned, tangling a hand in her hair. Kara was shaking from the sensations that were assaulting her brain and she could feel her own wetness pooling between her thighs. She reluctantly pulled off of him, feeling the ecstasy through the bond starting to wane.

"Please, Roman." She begged, looking up at him with wide eyes. She didn't need to tell him anything more as he started to climb up onto the bed. She rolled back into the middle, spreading her legs wide for him.

"Fuck, you're wet." He growled, trailing a finger through her lips to feel for himself. Kara gasped, arching against his hand as she heard Roman moan loudly. "Holy shit!"

"It's so good." She nodded in agreement, wiggling her hips for more. Roman circled her clit, making her hips buck and her head fall back. Roman groaned above her before pulling his hand away. She whined softly, looking back at him in time to see him suck his finger clean.

"So sweet." He hummed as he crawled over her. "Can't wait to bury my face between your thighs."

"Later." Kara panted, wiggling her hips against him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Fuck me first."

Roman groaned in response, reaching between them to guide himself. Both of them moaned loudly as Roman bucked forward, burying his cock inside her. Kara couldn't believe what she was feeling. The light burn of his thick cock stretching her open, paired with feeling Roman's own pleasure through their bond, she already felt like she was on the verge of the best orgasm of her life. If the sounds Roman was making were any sign, he felt the same.

"M-move." She stuttered, pressing her heels into his lower back.

Roman grunted as he started a slow rhythm, pulling out before sliding back in. They'd only just begun and they were both panting. Kara's legs were shaking around Roman, whose eyes were clamped shut.

Roman began to speed up as Kara felt the pleasure from the bond starting to even out. It was still undeniably present, but it had plateaued. Seeing Roman's face start to relax, she knew it was the same for Roman. She pulled him into a sloppy kiss as she bucked her hips to meet his thrusts.

"You feel amazing." He grunted against her lips. "God, you were made for me."

"And you were made for me." She panted back.

"I can't believe I found you."

"I know. Me either."

"I need…" Roman's breath hitched as he paused to moan. "Closer."

That was all the warning she got before Roman wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her upwards. He leaned back so he was sitting on his haunches, Kara in his lap. He was still inside her as she clung to him, gasping at the sudden change in position.

"Better." Roman grunted as he thrust up into her.

Kara nodded frantically, moaning loudly as Roman thrust deeper from the change in angle. Her nails dug into his shoulders, making him groan. She worried for a moment she hurt him, but she felt nothing but pleasure through their bond.

She kissed him, riding him as hard as she could with her legs already shaking from the pleasure. One arm stayed around her back, keeping their sweat dampened chests pressed together. His other hand slid to her ass, squeezing her cheeks.

She broke the kiss to catch her breath, dropping her head onto his chest as she kept the rhythm of her hips going. She could feel the fatigue setting in, but the need to chase her orgasm overpowered it. Roman's breath tickled her ear as he nipped at the lobe.

"Roman," she whimpered, his panting and grunting in her ear sending wild tingles up and down her spine. She slid one hand away from his shoulders, sneaking it between them. The way Roman's hips stuttered and the filthy moan that spilled past his lips as she began to circle her clit, she knew he could feel it through the bond.

"Don't stop." He breathed. "Fuuu-"

"So close." She whimpered in response, Roman nodding his head in agreement. Their rhythm fell apart as the two of them pushed towards that final freefall.

Kara's entire body tensed as she rocked her hips stiffly before everything exploded. Her nails dug into Roman's shoulder and she cried his name as she came, pleasure spreading through her body. It heightened tenfold a second later as Roman buried himself deep inside her, reaching his own orgasm with a loud moan. Her whole body spasmed as she felt her own orgasm amplified by Roman's through their bond. She gasped, whimpering through the pleasure so intense she almost couldn't breathe.

When she regained her senses, her limbs were still wrapped around Roman but the two of them were laying on their sides. Roman was stroking her hair absently, still panting to catch his breath with his eyes closed. She blinked up at him, still dazed as aftershocks of pleasure continued to shoot through her at random intervals. She could feel his cock still pressed deep inside her.

"Ro?" Her voice was completely wrecked as she called to him.

"Mmm?" He hummed in response, not opening his eyes.

Kara wasn't sure what to say, if anything at all. The emotions travelling through the bond were so warm and good. Pleasure, comfort, love. She knew she had to be sending the same back to Roman. Instead of saying anything, she kissed his lips softly.

Roman hummed again as he kissed her back. It felt like time had stopped as the two of them laid in bed together, absorbed in their post-orgasmic bliss. Their hands wandered, stroking sweat slicked skin, brushing back hair. It didn't take long for the kiss to become deeper and the touches more purposeful, although less urgent than before.

Their first time had been desperate, the bond pulling them together and driving them to the brink. Neither of them felt the frantic fever now, the bite gone from the heat leaving them in a pleasant, dreamy warmth as the couple rolled over, Roman on top of Kara.

The kiss stayed slow, almost lazy as Roman ground his hips into Kara. The unhurried pace and deep thrusts made her breath hitch. Roman's hands found hers, linking their fingers together. Kara rolled her hips into him, matching the easy pace.

She broke the kiss, needing to breathe as the deep, measured thrusts took her breath away. Roman rested his forehead on hers, staring into her eyes. His warm brown eyes were eclipsed by his pupils, his lips swollen and bruised, his face flushed. He looked beautiful.

They took their time, letting their climaxes come to them instead of chasing them down. The pressure built slowly and neither of them made any move to speed it up. They came together once more, sharing their pleasure through the bond. The power of it floored them, even after the previous one, leaving them panting and boneless on Roman's bed.

Kara could feel Roman's seed slipping out of her, pooling on the sheets beneath her, but she was absolutely too exhausted and content to care. She was nearly asleep when she felt Roman clean her up with a wet cloth. Her body jerked as he caressed her over-sensitive skin, whimpering softly. Roman shushed her, finishing quickly before rejoining her on the bed. He pulled her towards the other side of the bed, away from the mess they'd created. She couldn't have put up a fight if she tried, drifting off quickly once she was settled in his arms.

* * *

After the first three days together, the pair could feel the soulbond start to even out. The sex was still like nothing either had ever felt and they could still feel the other's emotions from opposite ends of the house, but Kara didn't feel like she was slowly suffocating if they weren't touching. It was a relief to be able to be away from the other. It certainly made cooking easier.

As promised, Roman called his parents and made plans to visit them for dinner. Kara panicked that she didn't have anything nice enough to wear to dinner with his parents for the first time. The only clothes she had with her were the ones she had packed to visit Baron on the road.

"Baby girl, first impression is done and gone, and you had sex hair the whole time." Roman teased. Kara was mortified at the reminder, more so now that it felt like her head was on straight after their time together. To make up for it - both the impression and the joke - Roman took her shopping for something to wear to the dinner.

Kara only had movies and TV shows to go by when it came to shopping with a boyfriend, so she was expecting Roman to be disinterested or whining the whole time. She was surprised to find that he was attentive, paying attention to what she was saying as she looked through the racks. He even suggested a few for her to try on and they weren't hideous. He'd clearly taken into account the things she liked or didn't like about the dressed they passed, using it to point out a few that he thought fit what she was looking for.

He dutifully held the hangers as they made their way through the store, eventually ending at the dressing room. He handed over the dresses, sitting in the "boyfriend chair." Kara never thought she'd have someone waiting for her in that chair. It was such a silly thing that made her stomach flutter.

Roman would put down his phone anytime the door to her dressing room opened, his eyes trailing over her body as she showed him the dress. With his heavy gaze on her, even the dresses she was unsure of made her feel like a million bucks.

"I think this is the one I want to wear to dinner." She told him, spinning around in the blue paisley sundress. It was plain, not too fancy or risqué for dinner with his parents, but the pattern was nice and the colour looked good on her.

"You look great." He told her with a smile. "You should get the black one too."

"The backless one?" She asked, Roman responding with a nod and a grin. "I'm not wearing a backless dress to your parents' for dinner."

"I want to take you out before we leave, and that dress looked amazing on you." He told her as he stood, running his hands up and down her bare arms.

"I don't need two dresses, Roman." She argued, trying to ignore the goosebumps he was creating on her skin.

She couldn't deny that the dress had looked good, and his reaction to it had been obvious. She never would have taken it off the rack had she realized she would be bare from her shoulders to the top of her ass. She might have worn it to some fancy event, but not to dinner with Roman's parents. The look on his face when she walked out of the dressing room in it told her everything. She didn't need the soulbond to know he was into it.

"My treat." Roman countered, his voice low. There was no one else in the dressing room area, but damn if the way he was speaking didn't make her feel like they were the last two people on earth.

"Okay." She relented.

They left the store with the two dresses, Roman dutifully carrying the shopping bag back to the car for her. It felt foreign to be looked after the way Roman was wanting to, but it wasn't bad. She spent her whole life up until the point of meeting him thinking she would never have this strong of a connection with someone else. She just had to grow accustomed to it.

"While you were trying on dresses," Roman broke the silence in the car as he drove them back to his place. "I was looking up some doctors. Mom sent me a list."

"Oh really?" Kara was surprised. She knew it was something they had to do, but her mind had been elsewhere since they'd arrived in Pensacola.

"I guess she'd asked around, did her own research. At least, she did the best she could. She isn't great with Google yet." He chuckled, resting his hand on Kara's thigh. "There's a few that look good."

"Show me them when we get home?" Kara requested, making Roman smile.

"Of course."

Dr. Shapiro was scribbling notes furiously as Roman and Kara both told her everything they knew about their situation. Her behaviour didn't faze either of them, Roman used to being interviewed and Kara used to soulmate therapy. When they had finished telling everything they could, Dr. Shapiro looked over her notes quickly. She had easily filled at least 8 pages.

"This is remarkable." She mumbled to herself before looking up at the couple. "I've never heard of a case quite like this before. There have been cases of a soulbond becoming impaired after near death experiences, but never fully broken."

"Never?" Kara repeated, Roman squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"I'll do some digging but I've never heard of a case like this. Surely it would be published if it had." Dr. Shapiro confirmed. "It would be the kind of thing covered in textbooks and journals. I think this is a bit of a soulbond breakthrough. With your permission, I would like to look further into your records."

"What kind of records?" Kara asked.

"Medical history, mostly. Mr. Reigns, you said your parents took you to the emergency room when you felt the bond die, so there should be a report on your file about it."

"Yes." Roman acknowledged.

"And Ms. Bowers, I'd like to look at the accident report as well as any doctors' notes from your surgery and recovery."

"Okay, that's fine with me." Kara nodded, looking to Roman. She could feel his apprehension through their bond.

"Mr. Reigns, I understand why you're wary of giving someone permission to your files with your position in the spotlight." Dr. Shapiro acknowledged as she pulled out some forms. "However I can promise you that I am interested only in a professional capacity. All of our files here are secure and we take your privacy very seriously. You wouldn't be our only celebrity case and we handle those with extreme delicacy."

Roman thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

"Thank you." Dr. Shapiro smiled at him before handing them each a pile of forms to fill out, giving her the permission to access the files.

"Doctor, do you think that there could be other couples like us? Soulmates that think they're alone but… they just can't find each other without the bond." Kara asked at the end of the appointment.

Dr. Shapiro leaned back into her chair with her hands clasped, thinking about it. "I believe there could be, yes."

Kara nodded before turning her attention to the forms in front of her.

She spent the rest of the day thinking about it: About how there could be other people out there, going through life as miserably as she was as a teen. She wouldn't have wished that feeling on her worst enemy, the hopelessness and loneliness she had gone through.

"We have to do something, Roman." Kara declared as the two of them were getting ready for bed that night, startling Roman as he put his dirty clothes in the hamper

"About what?" He asked as he reached the bed.

"Dr. Shapiro said there's probably other people like us. We have to do something." She explained, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What can we do?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"I don't know." She admitted, leaning into his side. "But if there's something we can do, I want to do it. I was miserable when I was younger."

Roman sighed and pulled her into a tight hug, her stress from remembering her past melting away in the embrace. "I was too, sometimes." He admitted. "That's why I focused on football. When that didn't work out as well as I hoped, I jumped right into wrestling. I thought it would keep my mind off of it. Stayed busy with training, focused on making a name for myself."

"Did it?" She asked.

"Mostly." He acknowledged, leaning back onto the bed and bringing her with him so they were both laying down.

"We have to do something." Kara repeated in a whisper.

"We'll talk to Dr. Shapiro, in a few days. Give her some time to look into it, then see if there's anything we can do."

"Thank you." Kara whispered, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

* * *

"Don't be nervous," Roman told her, holding her hand as they waited backstage for their cue. "You'll be great."

"I've never been on TV before." She told him. "I studied print journalism because I did awful in all my first year broadcasting classes."

"Yes, but you're the guest now, not the host. Lisa's great, I've been on with her before." Roman tried to comfort her, but she was literally shaking in her heeled boots.

She'd been awake before dawn to get down to the studio so they could do her hair and make-up for the morning show appearance. The ladies doing her make-up were lovely, trying to quell her fears as she told them she'd never done a talk show before. They took her opinion into account as they did her make-up, going with a natural look, just enhanced slightly for the cameras. When her nerves started to really pick up the closer they got to the interview, they started asking her about Roman to keep her mind off of it.

Her outfit had been chosen carefully, not wanting to clash with Roman's suit. The navy blue dress would look good next to his dark grey suit. The show's wardrobe department decked her out in accessories, making her look like a more editorial version of herself. She didn't mind, feeling fancy. She knew she looked good when she finally saw Roman. If the look on his face wasn't enough, the spike of interest she felt through the bond gave her a good idea.

They'd already filmed their "after the break" segment, which was just the two of them standing together, Roman's arm around her waist, as they waved at the camera. Now they just had to wait for the commercial to end.

Kara saw the producer counting down and her nerves skyrocketed. Roman squeezed her hand tighter and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"...Now please welcome our guests, Roman Reigns and Kara Bowers!" The host, Lisa Russell announced. The doors in front of Kara and Roman slid open and they walked through. The walk to the chairs was a blur for Kara, but Roman led her to where she needed to go. She was stuck in her head, remembering to smile and sit up straight and don't look at the camera that by the time she remembered to _pay attention_ , Roman was already mostly done talking about how they met.

"... All by chance. Without the bond, we didn't feel a pull towards each other the way other soulmates do. It wasn't even until we touched that the bond reformed." Roman was explaining. "There was no eyes locking across the room the way other soulmates meet."

"And how common is this? Are there others out there dealing with the same issue?" Lisa asked.

"Honestly, we don't know." Kara answered, Roman turning to smile at her. She could feel through the bond he was glad she was relaxing. "If there are others, they don't know, just like we didn't. We've been working with Dr. Eileen Shapiro, a well-known soulbond specialist, to find out if there's any way to tell or to find these people with a broken soulbond."

"And has anything come of it?" Lisa prompted.

"Unfortunately not yet." Kara admitted with a frown. "There are no other cases like us on record anywhere. It's almost impossible to know if your soulmate has died or is still out there."

"But that's why Kara wanted to start the foundation, and I thought it was a great idea." Roman added, smiling proudly at Kara. Kara smiled back, feeling the surge of love and pride through the bond.

"Let's talk a little about the foundation." Lisa suggested, leaning in. "It was your idea, Kara?"

"Yes." Kara nodded. "Once I knew that this," she gestured between Roman and herself, "was even possible and there might be others out there, I knew I had to do something. My childhood was… I spent most of my time hiding from my peers because I felt like an outcast. I spent years in therapy, first trying to fix the bond and then in grief counselling. I didn't care about my future because I didn't think I had one." Kara felt Roman's sadness and concern bubbling through their bond, the same way it always did when she spoke about her teenage years. "I don't want anyone out there to feel that way. That's why we founded Broken Bonds."

"We're still new, but Kara has focused her attention on the organization. It's already growing faster than we thought it would." Roman spoke proudly. "We have two focusses right now. Dr. Shapiro and her team are looking into the medical side of it, while Kara and her team are doing research the old fashioned way."

"And how is that?" Lisa asked.

"Well, once we spoke to Dr. Shapiro about our experiences, she found the records of my accident and the report from Roman's hospital visit. The timelines matched up perfectly. What my team can do is take one person's account of what they felt, when it happened, and we can find something that matches. It's not a perfect science, and honestly there's a margin for error, but it's a start."

Lisa nodded solemnly before turning to the camera. "Well, if you or someone you know feels they could be helped by Broken Bonds, or if you want to get involved, all the contact information for the organization is on the screen now. We'll also have it up on our website." She went on to thank them for coming on the show before they cut to commercial again. Kara felt like she could breathe again.

"You did great, baby girl." Roman whispered, kissing her temple.

"That was wonderful. Great job for your first appearance." Lisa told her, standing from her chair. "And we're so honored you chose us for the first."

"Thank you for having us." Roman smiled, shaking her hand before she was whisked away by producers to prepare for the next segment.

"Do you think people will reach out, Roman?" Kara asked as they were led back to the backstage area.

"I hope so." Roman answered, unsure himself. "Only time will tell."


End file.
